That may not apply to S-400!
Russia was actually quite reluctant to sell S-400 to India...in fact tied its sale to FGFA and other purchases. It's India that desperately wants S-400, so Russia may not be dictated by any Indian policy/demand.
How do you know that Russia linked it to FGFA? Moreover, why does India want S400ifit doesn't give Technology? The while point if buying weapons for a country like India is to get Technology. The small number of S400 SAM is meaningless for a big country like India. So, the only option for real full scale defence or offence is by having indigenised mass manufacturing.
Why Engage with WVR R-73 when you will out out gunned in BVR
Because it has rules of engagement where India can't fire the missile unless they are crossing the border. Otherwise, India could have fired R77 missile too which it did not do. Also, we were talking of MICA. You are repeatedly changing topic. R73 is comparable to MICA and there is no need to crave for MICA
This is not from high end sources. We have seen such news even before.
Unless India is irrational, there is no need for buying S400 without Technology. Critical technology can't be simply bought as it requires quantity to fight in wars. Quantity can't come without indigenisation of Technology
Yes...Russia has repeatedly refused to abide by Offset Clause (among other prominent violations of the DPP) but we continue to bend over backwards for them while expecting all other vendors to strictly comply or be blacklisted.
Offset is irrelevant. Russia did not give offset for Su30 MKI either. It simply handed over the Technology. Russia rarely ever invests in making industry in other countries. The offsets are mainly directed at CAPITALIST states, not Russia. Russia functions differently.
It doesn't matter what you think Russia should do!
Russia did try to leverage S-400 deal to push FGFA to India - that's a fact!!
FGFA was potentially a $25 billion deal, that India walked out of.
How do you know? Rumours spread by some journalists using sources? If Russia is not giving any Technology in S400, how is it useful to India in the first place to use it as leverage?
It's not bullying when they are trying to rectify years and years of bad trade practices. Let's be real, India is a tariff heavy nation and Trump is fully right to want to correct that and wants better access for their companies, products and services. It's natural. They have vast economic strength and interests to do so.
If we cry bully every time we get into a unfavorable discussion, we will never achieve self actualization as a nation.
These are minor trade and policy squabbles and will be dealt with. Compromise will happen when needed. Word has it, early discussions have begun on a new Indo-US trade agreement. It aims to allow fairer trade between the nations. It'll take sometime, some patience but it is in our best interest to have the US as a close strategic ally.
It is also better to deal with an administration in the US which is clear cut in it's intentions and explains it's hard limits well, political correctness is out of the window. We never had this kind of dialogue with the US before, neither did any of the US traditional allies. All things are being discussed.
In comparison all previous discussions with vanilla Republican and Dem Admins during Bush and Ombaba years, more than 80% of the time we were left confused about their approach which was worse.
Let us be clear that many of the agreement and deals with USA is based on political leverage rather than direct trade and transaction. So, things are not as simple as you want it to be. I agree that USA wants to dominate financial services and IT services and is reluctant to allow India to replace it and hence will impose costs, but this is still in Indian interests to go for data localisation and taxing of foreign IT companies. The losses from H1B remittance is still lesser than benefits to India by data localisation.
It is not in Indian interests to care too much for USA in one sided manner. India benefits less than USA compared to what USA benefits from India in political leverage in geopolitics. So, one has to be more complex in thinking
