India, Russia to bolster ties in railways, UAVs, SJ-100 planes, critical mineral sectors
New Delhi, Aug 7
India and Russia on Friday agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in railway transport, unmanned aerial vehicles, SJ-100 regional planes, and critical minerals.
The discussions for bolstering ties were held at the 12th Session of the India-Russia Working Group on Modernisation and Industrial Cooperation under the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation at Vanijya Bhawan here.
Amardeep Singh Bhatia, Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, co-chaired the meeting from the Indian side, while Alexey Gruzdev, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Russia, co-chaired from the Russian side.
New areas of cooperation in railway transport such as infrastructure facilities, the Vande Bharat train project, and signalling equipment were taken up for discussion. Moreover, cooperation in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), 3-D printing, production of the Russian regional aircraft SJ-100, which is a narrow-body jet capable of carrying 103 passengers, and aero-engines were also discussed.
Further, cooperation in carbon-fibre technologies and propulsion systems, DAP and NPK fertiliser supplies, automation, critical minerals, lithium mining and titanium technologies, along with enhanced collaboration in aluminium, mining equipment and exploration of rare earth elements were discussed during the session.
The meeting reviewed the progress made since the 11th session and discussed collaboration across the identified sub-groups on modernisation, mining, fertilisers and railway transport. Key areas in the 12th session included cooperation in the field of modern industrialisation, science and technology, aerospace, railway infrastructure, mineral fertilisers and chemicals, rare earths and critical minerals, exploration and capacity building in the renewable energy sector, power engineering, industrial infrastructure, mining equipment, aluminium sector and joint venture for urea production, according to an official statement issued after the meeting.
The Protocol of the 12th Session of the Working Group was signed by both the co-chairs, reaffirming the strategic India-Russia partnership with the aim to deepen industrial and economic cooperation. The session was attended by around 60 delegates from both sides, the statement added.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Interesting to see the focus on UAVs and 3D printing alongside traditional sectors. India needs to ensure technology transfer happens properly—we shouldn't just be a buyer but a co-developer. The SJ-100 partnership could boost our regional aviation if the terms are right.
Finally, some pragmatic diplomacy! With global supply chains shifting, having Russia as a partner for lithium and rare earths reduces our dependence on China. The fertiliser cooperation is also crucial for our farmers. Smart move by the government. 👏
While this is positive, I hope we're balancing our international relations carefully. Russia is a great partner, but India should also maintain strong ties with the West. We need to be strategic—diversify our partnerships so we're not too dependent on any one country.
The railway signalling equipment cooperation is more important than people realise. If we can modernise our signalling systems with Russian tech, it'll improve safety and efficiency across our network. Also, the aluminium and titanium collaboration could boost our aerospace ambitions.
As someone who works in logistics, I'm thrilled about the railway infrastructure plans. Better freight corridors and modern signalling will cut transit times significantly. This is the kind of concrete cooperation that benefits ordinary citizens the most.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.