India-Russia & Israel Relations
International Relations · भारत-रूस और इजरायल संबंध
📋Quick Overview
India's diplomatic approach of strategic autonomy is best illustrated by its simultaneous partnerships with Russia (S-400 purchase, BrahMos missile), Israel (defence, technology), and UAE (trade, diaspora, CEPA). India is Russia's largest arms customer historically, Israel's second-largest defence export market, and has 3.5 million Indian diaspora in UAE. These three relationships demonstrate India's ability to maintain multi-directional partnerships without binding exclusivity.
BrahMos missile is a joint India-Russia supersonic cruise missile with range 300-500 km (extended to 800 km). It is the world's fastest anti-ship cruise missile. Named after Brahmaputra (India) + Moskva (Russia) rivers. India exported BrahMos to Philippines in 2022 — first major weapons export.
📖India-Russia Relations
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Strategic Partnership | 'Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership' (elevated 2010); India-Russia Annual Summit tradition |
| Treaty of Peace + Friendship | 1971 (Indira Gandhi + Brezhnev) — gave India crucial diplomatic support during 1971 Bangladesh war; Russia vetoed UNSC resolutions against India |
| Defence Cooperation | Russia historically supplied 60% of India's arms; AK-203 rifles (Korwa, UP); SU-30MKI jets; T-90 tanks; INS Vikramaditya carrier |
| S-400 Triumph | India bought S-400 air defence system (contract $5.43 billion, 2018) despite US CAATSA threat; deliveries began 2021 |
| BrahMos Missile | India-Russia Joint Venture (1998); world's fastest anti-ship cruise missile; named Brahmaputra + Moskva; range 300-800 km |
| Post-Ukraine War (2022) | India maintained 'strategic autonomy' — abstained from UNGA votes; increased discounted Russian oil purchases; Russia became India's top oil supplier |
📖India-Israel & India-UAE Relations
- •India-Israel: Full diplomatic relations established 1992 (PM Narasimha Rao + PM Rabin); before 1992 India supported Palestine + Arab bloc
- •Israel is India's 2nd largest defence supplier (after Russia); Phalcon AWACS, Heron UAVs, Barak missiles, Spike anti-tank missiles
- •India-Israel cooperation: agriculture (drip irrigation to India), water management, cybersecurity, counterterrorism
- •PM Modi visited Israel in 2017 — first Indian PM to visit Israel; called India-Israel 'natural partners'
- •India-UAE: Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA, 2022) — trade target $100 billion by 2030; UPI payment accepted in UAE
- •India-UAE: 3.5 million Indian diaspora in UAE; largest single-country diaspora there; remittances over $13 billion annually