‘Russia is keen on taking it’: BrahMos chief says talks on missile induction under way

Russia is considering the induction of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile into its armed forces, with discussions also under way on expanding production capacity to meet future requirements, BrahMos Aerospace Chief Jaiteerth Joshi said on June 18.

Speaking in Nagpur after the flagging off of the 100th indigenous booster manufactured by Solar Industries India Ltd, Joshi said Moscow had conveyed its interest in the missile despite already having established industrial partners associated with the BrahMos programme.

He said the Russian government was keen on acquiring the missile, and discussions were continuing. “The government of Russia is keen on taking it, but they have their own established industry partners. However, they want to increase the requirement as per the present scenario. We are in talks with them,” Joshi said.

He indicated that Indian industry could help augment Russia’s existing production capabilities if demand rises.

“They have the facility, but that facility may not be enough. To augment that, we will work hand in hand and supply it from India,” he added.

The comments come amid growing international interest in the BrahMos missile, which is jointly developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia (NPOM). The missile has emerged as one of India’s key defence export products, attracting attention from several countries.

Joshi said the missile’s reputation had been built over 25 years of development, testing and operational deployment, strengthening confidence among potential buyers.

Referring to Operation Sindoor, he described the missile’s operational use as a significant milestone. “A live test was carried out during Operation Sindoor, and it was a success story which the entire country and the world know,” he said.

Calling it a rare instance of combat validation, Joshi added that the missile had been tested in a real operational environment rather than through simulations alone.

Meanwhile, export negotiations with Vietnam are nearing completion. Joshi said only a few clearances remain before the agreement can be finalised. He also confirmed that discussions are continuing with several other countries across different regions.

The developments are expected to strengthen India’s ambitions of expanding defence exports while boosting indigenous manufacturing under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.