India Russia Relations

[pmaitra]

Russia’s Largest Bank to Facilitate Direct Gold Trade Between Russia and India

Sberbank says direct gold trade between the two BRICS members would be immensely beneficial to both countries

Rudy Panko | Tue, Apr 18, 2017 | [SOURCE]


Bypassing the dollar — one gold bar at a time

Sberbank is looking to finance the direct import of gold to India, according to Aleksei Kechko, Managing Director of Sberbank's Indian subsidiary.

Sberbank is Russia's largest, state-owned bank.

The announcement comes as no surprise to those who have been following the gold-buying spree by BRICS members, especially Russia and China.

According to reports:

Direct gold trade between India and Russia would be immensely beneficial to both countries. “We hope to sign the transaction by September or October this year,” [Kechko] said. “We are also exploring the possibility of entering the gold loans sector as well.”​

India is the world’s second largest importer of gold. The country imported $35 billion worth of gold in 2015. However India’s imports of the precious metal fell in 2016.​

Russian officials have already signaled their desire to conduct transactions with BRICS nations using gold. On a visit to China last year, deputy head of the Russian Central Bank, Sergey Shvetsov, said that Russia and China are interested in facilitating more transactions in gold.

As we wrote last month, creating a BRICS “gold marketplace” would be an excellent way of bypassing the dollar while also using a valuable commodity that could be easily recycled for trade with other member nations.

 

[Cutting Edge 2]

India, Russia Pin Great Hope on North-South Transport Corridor
© Sputnik/ Sergey Subbotin
16:21 20.04.2017
The North-South Transport Corridor will be a force multiplier in terms of trade between India and Russia, by cutting down transit time by 40 percent, according to speakers at an interactive session in New Delhi between a visiting Russian regional delegation and Indian government officials and businessmen.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – The Indian government has planned a motor rally along the North-South Transport Corridor to promote it, as part of steps to expedite the process to connect both the countries with the Corridor.

Presently, Indian investments in Russia are estimated at $8 billion and Russian investments in India totaled about $3 billion.

Boris Dubrovsky, Governor, Chelyabinsk Region, Russia, called on Indian industries to invest in the region. “The industrial development of the region was determined by the metallurgical, car-building, fuel-energy, construction, agricultural-industrial complexes. Besides, the region had rich and varied natural resources and qualified work resources. The Chelyabinsk Region has some ready potential investment projects which Indian industry could consider for investment,” Governor Dubrovsky said in New Delhi, at an interactive session at an event organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry on Thursday.

Anatoly Kargapolov, Charge d’Affaires, Embassy of Russia in India, said that India and Russia enjoyed stable economic ties and India with its growing market offered ample business opportunities. India and Russia had exchanged 19 MoUs in Goa in 2016.

“There is a need for Indian industry to explore diverse regions of Russia and forge partnerships in unconventional sectors. Besides, areas of cooperation such as energy, aviation, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, telecommunications, high technologies and ICT, India could partner with Russian in artificial intelligence, robotics and big data,” G. V. Srinivas, Joint Secretary, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said.

V. Sivakumar, Executive Director, SUN Group Enterprises Private Limited, said Russia was a lucrative but a challenging market. “Logistics is a challenge and for fast movement of goods there is a need to utilize the North-South Transport Corridor, which would reduce the transit time considerably,” he said.

https://sputniknews.com/world/201704201052815131-india-russia-transport-corridor/

 

[Cutting Edge 2]

India, Russia to hold major tri-Service 'Indra' combat exercise for first time this year
Rajat Pandit| TNN | Apr 20, 2017, 03.59 AM IST
HIGHLIGHTS

• India will hold a major combat exercise with Russia this year.
• The Indra exercise will be held in Russia and will include assets and manpower from the Army, Navy and IAF
• India is planning far-reaching defence reforms to usher in much-needed synergy among the three services.

This is the first time India will deploy all the three services together for an exercise with a country.
NEW DELHI: In the first such tri-Service wargames, India will hold a major combat exercise with Russia this year to crank up military-to-military ties between the two long-standing strategic partners.

"The Indra exercise, to be held in Russia, will include assets and manpower from the Army, Navy and IAF. This is the first time India will deploy the three services together for an exercise with a country," said a defence ministry source.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley, incidentally, will also be visiting Russia in his capacity as the defence minister for the Moscow Conference on International Security on April 25-26.

Though Russia has been India's largest defence supplier for long, notching up military sales worth over $50 billion since the 1960s, their armed forces do not exercise much together.

In sharp contrast, India and US hold a flurry of exercises every year, ranging from the top-notch naval Malabar wargames (with Japan now a regular participant) to the counter-terror Vajra Prahar & Yudh Abhyas Ines between their armies. The US has also bagged Indian arms contracts worth $15 billion since 2007, even overtaking Russia in annual sales over the last four years, as earlier reported by TOI.

But India and Russia have now resolved to expand their military-to-military ties. "The first initial planning conference has already been held with Russia to discuss the exercise scenario, assets and manpower for the tri-Service Indra. Two more such conferences will be held soon to finalise everything," said the source.

The major exercise comes at a time when India is planning far-reaching defence reforms to usher in some much-needed synergy among the three services, with the creation of a chief of defence staff post in the short-term as well as integrated theatre commands in the years ahead.
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While Indian and Russian armies and navies have been separately holding their Indra exercises off-and-on for the last few years, the first-ever bilateral air combat exercise "Avia Indra" was held in the Astrakhan region, near the Caspian Sea, in 2014.

Incidentally, during the Modi-Putin summit in Goa in October 2016, India had inked pacts with Russia to acquire five S-400 Triumf advanced air defence missile systems, four Grigorivich-class frigates and 200 Kamov-226T light helicopters, while also sealing the lease of a second nuclear-powered submarine after INS Chakra, all together worth around $10.5 billion, as was then reported by TOI.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...first-time-this-year/articleshow/58254733.cms

 

[Cutting Edge 2]

Lavrov believes accession of India, Pakistan to SCO will 'make history'

ASTANA, April 21. /TASS/. The accession of India and Pakistan to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will make history and increase the organization’s global influence, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday following the Astana meeting of the SCO Foreign Ministers Council.


"We have considered a package of documents to be committed to the heads of state for approval, first and foremost, these documents concern decisions on completing the membership process for India and Pakistan," the Russian top diplomat said. "It would be no exaggeration to say that it will prove to be a historical event which will increase the organization’s global influence. After India and Pakistan become members, the SCO will include as many as 43% of the world’s population while its member states will account for 24% of global gross domestic product."

Lavrov said that Friday’s meeting had been "the decisive stage of the preparations for the next SCO summit" scheduled to be held in Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana on June 8-9.

The Declaration on the Establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was singed in China’s Shanghai in June 2001 by six founding states - Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan, Belarus, India, Pakistan, Iran and Mongolia currently enjoy observer status while Sri Lanka, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia and Nepal are dialogue partners. The membership process of India and Pakistan began in 2015.


More:
http://tass.com/politics/942502

 

[Villager]

India, Russia to ink deal on 5th generation fighter design

HIGHLIGHTS

• In March, India and Russia had signed two key agreements for long-term maintenance and technical support for Russian- made Su-30MKI fighter jets of the Indian Air Force.

• Agreement on Perspective Multi-role Fighter likely to be signed later this year
• Both countries are co-developers, and India will have equal rights over the the technology
• India insisted on getting all codes and access to critical technology for upgrade as per requirements.

NEW DELHI: After years of delay, India and Russia are likely to soon ink a "milestone" pact to finalise the detailed design for the fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) and move ahead with the multi-billion dollar co-development project.

Government sources said almost all the ground work has been completed to finalise the deal for design of the jet as well as some other critical issues.

"The contract for the detailed design would be signed soon and that will be a major milestone. It should be signed in the second half of the year," a top official involved in the negotiations with Russia on the project said.

Asked whether India has linked the project to full-scale transfer of technology, the official, who requested anonymity, said both the countries are co-developers and India will have equal rights over the technology.

"We are co-developers. There is nothing called technology transfer in this project. India has equal rights. We will have the wherewithal to continue production. We are equal partner in the project," he said.

In the negotiations for the project, India had insisted that it must get all the required codes and access to critical technology so that it can upgrade the aircraft as per its requirements.

In February last year, India and Russia had revived talks on the project after a clearance from then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.

Since then, a lot of issues related to work share, IPR and technology transfer among others have been sorted out between the two sides, along with the monetary commitments.

In 2007, India and Russia had inked an inter-governmental pact for the FGFA project.

In December 2010, India had agreed to pay $295 million towards the preliminary design of the fighter, which is called in India as the 'Perspective Multi-role Fighter' (PMF). However, negotiations faced various hurdles in the subsequent years.

Sources said the work on various co-development projects have been expedited following the government's renewed focus on modernisation of the armed forces.

In March, India and Russia had signed two key agreements for long-term maintenance and technical support for Russian- made Su-30MKI fighter jets of the Indian Air Force.

Currently, the IAF operates around 230 Su-30MKI fighter jets and, as per the agreements, Russian defence majors United Aircraft Corporation and the United Engine Corporation will render technical support and provide maintenance services and spares for the fleet for a period of five years.

 

[Villager]

"We are co-developers. There is nothing called technology transfer in this project. India has equal rights. We will have the wherewithal to continue production. We are equal partner in the project," he said.

What does it mean the part saying we are co-developers. There is nothing called technology transfer in this project?

 

[Butter Chicken]

What does it mean the part saying we are co-developers. There is nothing called technology transfer in this project?

It means the product is as Indian as it is Russian.Both have equal IP rights.ToT is only for foreign products which we assemble on license like Su 30 MKI

 

[Villager]

It means the product is as Indian as it is Russian.Both have equal IP rights.ToT is only for foreign products which we assemble on license like Su 30 MKI

I still don't get it, do you mean that we already have all the know how.

The article says,

In the negotiations for the project, India had insisted that it must get all the required codes and access to critical technology so that it can upgrade the aircraft as per its requirements.

 

[IndianHawk]

I still don't get it, do you mean that we already have all the know how.

The article says,

It means India will be supplied with all IP of whatever Russian part of the project will be. Ownership of final FGFA and all its technology will be 50-50

Although I have doubts. Russian are not going to any significant tech. We are being taken for ride again

 

[Cutting Edge 2]

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin's India visit.




PM Modi will visit St Petersburg (Russia) next month.

 

[Innocent]

...............................

 

[Cutting Edge 2]

Nuke MoU: Govt makes Russia sweat before PM Modi-Putin meet
Sachin Parashar| TNN | Updated: May 17, 2017, 04.19 PM IST
HIGHLIGHTS

• Russia is worried that India might be delaying the MoU for developing Kudankulam reactor units.
• India’s message to Moscow stated without NSG membership, India would have no option but to go for an indigenous nuclear energy programme.

India has warned Russia that it will stall cooperation with its foreign partners for development of its civil nuclear programme if it is unable to become a full member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in the near future. To make its point, it is threatening to put in cold storage an MoU with Russia for developing Kudankulam 5 and 6 reactor units.

With Russia working increasingly in tandem with China on global issues, India has often looked at Moscow to persuade Beijing to let go of its opposition to India's membership. Russia is now worried that India might be delaying the MoU to get Moscow to work more proactively for its NSG membership.

Taken aback by this Indian reluctance to seal the MoU, a top official source confirmed to TOI, Russia's deputy PM Dmitry Rogozin took up the issue with PM Narendra Modi in their meeting last week. Rogozin, however, left the country without any clear assurance from India on signing the MoU.

The meeting was held to prepare the groundwork for Modi's summit with President Vladimir Putin early next month. Moscow is now worried that without the MoU, there will be no real takeaway from the summit which is barely two weeks away. Russia remains India's oldest and most reliable partner in the development of its nuclear energy programme.

India's message to Russia, conveyed to Moscow through official channels around the time the last NSG meeting was held, is said to have been quite explicit in nature. It stated that without NSG membership in the next 1-2 years, India would have no option but to go for an indigenous nuclear energy programme. TOI was unable to ascertain if a similar 'threat' was made to the US and France, two other important partners in nuclear energy, but it's clear that the government sees Russia as the only big power which has enough influence with Beijing to soften its position on theissue of India's NSG membership+ .

TOI has learnt that despite repeated exhortations for over 6 months, Russia has been unable to convince India to sign the MoU which was originally meant to have been signed on the sidelines of the Brics summit in Goa last year. It was then said that it would be signed by the end of 2016 but halfway into 2017, India continues to hold back on it despite issues like pricing and technology having been long settled.

Moscow is concerned that India is not responding to its request for signing the MoU even weeks ahead of the Modi-Putin summit. It sees nuclear energy cooperation as one of the most significant elements of its bilateral relationship with India.

India has at several levels in the past asked Russia to persuade Beijing which continues to back a criteria-based, and not a merit-based approach as desired by India, for expansion of the global body which controls nuclear commerce.

While Russia has worked hard to secure support for India's membership, New Delhi clearly believes that it hasn't done enough to convince China which sees Moscow as a key partner in dealing with the emerging international situation. However, the Russians seem to believe that India has only further complicated its case by inviting Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh and that this will only see China further hardening its position.

Russia's interests now converge sharply with China's as evident also from the way it hasendorsed Beijing' OBOR . Putin himself attended this week the OBOR conference which India chose to ignore. Russia, like several Indian neighbours, maintains that its endorsement of OBOR has nothing to do with the contentiousCPEC which raises sovereignty issues for India . Moscow's strategic embrace of Pakistan made manifest in its first joint military exercise with the latter last year has also spooked India.

That India might shun foreign collaboration in nuclear energy is also interesting. The government only recently reiterated in Parliament that it expects to raise nuclear power generation capacity to 15,000 MW by 2024 from the 4780 MW that it was in 2014.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...e-pm-modi-putin-meet/articleshow/58707050.cms

 

[Villager]

Russia won't take blackmail, US won't. It seems we are planning on joining either western/Russian bloc as we don't carry enough weight ourselves to get entry in NSG or UN. So whoever offers us the most will be picked as our ally for giving up our neutrality.

 

[Butter Chicken]

Russia won't take blackmail, US won't. It seems we are planning on joining either western/Russian bloc as we don't carry enough weight ourselves to get entry in NSG or UN. So whoever offers us the most will be picked as our ally for giving up our neutrality.

No chance of deal with US due to WestingHouse bankruptcy.French Areva is also having financial issues.Rosatom is the only foreign company with chance to build reactors in India.Russia needs to use its good relations with China,or India will continue to build indigenous heavy water reactors and finance research for Fast Breeder reactors with the money saved.

 

[Prashant12]

India, Russia at internal approval stage of Kundankulam nuclear plant

MoU for the reactor unit 5&6 of KNPP will likely be signed on June 1, when Modi and Putin meet

Work on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Russia for reactor units 5 and 6 of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) is at the stage of internal approval, a senior official said on Friday.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay, refuted claims that India was holding back the MoU to make Russia use its influence over China in order to enable India's membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). He also called the report "completely baseless, incorrect and mischievous".

At the NSG plenary in Seoul in June last year, China had blocked India's membership bid on the ground that for a country to be a member of the 48-nation bloc it has to be a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Given Baglay's statement, it is likely that the MoU for the reactor units 5 and 6 of KNPP, India's largest nuclear power plant, will be signed during the India-Russia bilateral summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on June 1.

All six units of the plant are scheduled to be built in collaboration between Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and Russian state company Atomstroyexport.

While reactor units 1 and 2 are already connected to the southern power grid, the ground-breaking ceremony for construction of units 3 and 4 was done in February last year.

http://www.business-standard.com/ar...ge-of-kundankulam-n-plant-117051900546_1.html

 

[Prashant Sharma]

Russia won't take blackmail, US won't. It seems we are planning on joining either western/Russian bloc as we don't carry enough weight ourselves to get entry in NSG or UN. So whoever offers us the most will be picked as our ally for giving up our neutrality.

Disagree completely...
1. India is too big a country to join camps
2. Camps per se are loosing their meaning as we are moving from unipolar to multipolar world

 

[gadeshi]

Disagree completely...
1. India is too big a country to join camps
2. Camps per se are loosing their meaning as we are moving from unipolar to multipolar world

Russia and China invite India to be one of the poles

Отправлено с моего XT1080 через Tapatalk

 

[Akshay_Fenix]

What is this BS about blackmailing Russia going on in Indian media. Has the commie media completely lost its mind. Yes Ageed those 10 reactors is a big deal never done before but aren't we forgetting something, it will take decades(1-1.5) to build those reactors.

https://www.rt.com/business/388829-india-nuclear-reactors-construction/

WTF COMMENTS!!! I did not know people hated nuclear so much and also the usual India is shit comments.

 

[IndianHawk]

Russia and China invite India to be one of the poles

Отправлено с моего XT1080 через Tapatalk

China india can't be in same tent unfortunately.

 

[Villager]

China india can't be in same tent unfortunately.

Just woke up to a dream, where media highlighted that China had given up it's claim on Arunachal Pradesh, and India and China finally moving in direction of full fledged cooperation. It was a nice dream.