In May 2025, India and Russia began high-level talks to jointly manufacture an advanced version of the supersonic cruise missile system after the BrahMos missiles were successfully deployed during Operation Sindoor.
With Moscow providing complete technical support for manufacturing upgraded BrahMos variants at India’s recently opened facility in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, this strategic move marks a major expansion of the Indo-Russian defense partnership.
In addition to advancing India’s ambitious goal of achieving defense self-reliance through indigenous manufacturing capabilities under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, the negotiations highlight the crucial role that Russian-origin defense systems played in India’s recent military operations against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The extraordinary success of BrahMos missiles during Operation Sindoor, which was launched on May 7, 2025, in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, served as the impetus for these advanced production discussions. The strategic effectiveness of Indo-Russian defense cooperation was demonstrated by the precision airstrikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. According to reports, India used a number of Russian-origin systems, such as the S-400 air defense system and BrahMos missiles, during the operation. The Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, which has vital air refueling capabilities and is ideally situated close to the Strategic Plans Division headquarters, which is in charge of the nation’s nuclear arsenal, was specifically targeted by the strikes.
These operations have been successful because of the BrahMos missile system’s special capabilities, which make it impossible for any known air defense system—including those run by China and Pakistan—to intercept it. Because of its supersonic velocity, the missile can reach targets up to 300 kilometers away in a matter of minutes, seriously damaging vital infrastructure like command centers and runways. This operational accomplishment has strengthened the Indo-Russian defense partnership’s strategic importance and given the go-ahead to increase production capacity with more sophisticated versions.
A key component of India’s aspirations for defense manufacturing is the recently opened BrahMos Aerospace Integration and Testing Facility in Lucknow, which was built for ₹300 crore on 80 hectares of government-provided free land. On May 11, 2025, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh virtually opened the state-of-the-art facility as part of the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor project. In its first phase, the facility is expected to produce 80–100 BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles annually, with plans to increase production to 100–150 next-generation models annually.
With a top speed of Mach 2.8, or roughly 3,430 kilometers per hour, and a range of 290 to 400 kilometers, the current BrahMos missile system has impressive technical specifications. The missile is a genuinely versatile weapon system that can be launched from land, sea, or air platforms and uses an advanced “fire and forget” guidance system for high-precision strikes. With a weight reduction from 2,900 kg to 1,290 kg, the next-generation BrahMos variant under development is arguably a significant technological advancement that will allow fighter jets like the Sukhoi Su-30MKI to carry up to three missiles instead of just one.
Together with the anchor unit PTC, the production facility includes seven auxiliary facilities, forming a complete ecosystem for the development and testing of missiles. This integrated approach maintains the high standards necessary for such advanced weapon systems while guaranteeing quality control throughout the production process. The facility’s creation under the joint venture between Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya and India’s Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) shows how strong bilateral defense cooperation has remained.
As part of the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiatives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the ambitious Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC) in 2018, which provides a larger context for these developments. Each of the six strategic nodes that make up the corridor—Lucknow, Kanpur, Aligarh, Agra, Jhansi, and Chitrakoot—specializes in a distinct facet of defense manufacturing. This all-encompassing strategy for defense industrialization marks a dramatic change in India’s approach from reliance on imports to domestic production capacity.
The corridor has already shown impressive success in luring investments, as evidenced by the signing of 170 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) totaling about ₹30,000 crore. A total of 57 investors have been given land at different stages of the production unit setup process, with actual investments amounting to ₹9,462.8 crore. The first land lease agreement was signed in June 2021, demonstrating the quick advancement of industrial development. It is anticipated that these developments will directly create 13,736 jobs. Significant benefits stem from the corridor’s advantageous location, which includes easy access to major highways and expressways as well as the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor.
An important turning point in bilateral defense cooperation and India’s path toward defense self-reliance is the advanced BrahMos production talks between Russia and India. Operation Sindoor’s success has confirmed the strategic worth of these advanced weapon systems and shown how well the Indo-Russian partnership works to develop advanced defense technologies. The Lucknow facility’s construction within the larger framework of the UP Defence Industrial Corridor lays a strong basis for ongoing production and technological development.
Both national security and economic development goals are strengthened by the addition of sophisticated BrahMos variants to India’s defense arsenal and the growth of domestic manufacturing capacity. The corridor’s ability to draw in investments and generate jobs shows how defense manufacturing can boost strategic capabilities and make a substantial contribution to regional economic growth. As these programs develop further, they establish India as a major player in the world’s defense manufacturing industry while preserving vital alliances that improve operational efficacy and technological capabilities.
