India is another enthusiastic buyer of Sukhoi jets. Today, 15 out of 32 Indian air force fighter squadrons operate Su-30MKI multi-role fighters. Alexander Fomin, director at the Federal Service for military-technical cooperation with foreign countries (FSVTS) and the head of Russian official delegation to Aero India 2013, said that Russia continues selling weapons to India on a large scale, despite losing a number of international tenders recently. He added that India's share of Russia's military exports is nearly 30 percent, making India the largest importer of Russian weapons.
President Putin, during his visit to New Delhi in December, witnessed the signing of several major arms deals. The largest of those calls for the shipment of 42 additional Su-30MKI kits for subsequent assembly at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL). The value of that deal is estimated at U.S.$3 billion. This recent order supplements earlier signed contracts for a total of 230 such fighters.
