Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday and again on Saturday renewed Moscow’s offer to jointly develop and manufacture the Su-57 stealth fighter with India, presenting the aircraft as Russia’s most advanced fifth-generation jet and saying Russia was ready to work with New Delhi with “no restrictions whatsoever.”
The remarks were made in St. Petersburg during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, where Putin said the proposal remained open even after earlier talks on the program did not progress.
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🚨🇷🇺🇮🇳 Putin reveals that Russia offered Su-57 to India as a joint project
— Sputnik India (@Sputnik_India) June 4, 2026
“We are ready to supply India with this aircraft, to keep developing it. We don’t have any issues or limitations. Same goes for air defence systems.” pic.twitter.com/tiZr13LJFE
Russia doubles down on the Su-57 offer
Speaking to India Today’s Geeta Mohan at SPIEF, Putin said Russia remained willing to deepen defense cooperation beyond a conventional buyer-seller arrangement.
“India has traditionally been purchasing our aircraft, both planes and helicopters, from us. The Su-57 is a very good aircraft, probably the most modern one, the most up-to-date in the world as of now, and it is also the most efficient,” he said.
He added, “We offered, and I said that to our Indian friends yesterday. We offered that we should do that together. Well, it didn’t work out in the past, but we did it on our own, and we stand ready to sell the Su-57 even now.”
Putin also said India “always acts as a sovereign country” and argued that any sanctions pressure would “boomerang immediately” under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
Putin: Russia ready to partner with India on Su-57 fighter jet
— Public News X (@PublicNewsX) June 4, 2026
“We proposed joint development of the Su-57. They said ‘build it first, then we’ll see.’ We did it alone — now it’s the world’s best 5th-gen jet. We’re open to supply it and develop together. No limits.”…
India's fighter gap shapes the discussion
The renewed pitch comes as India continues to look at ways to address its fighter aircraft gap before its indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, or AMCA, enters service in the mid-2030s.
The Indian Air Force currently does not operate a fifth-generation combat aircraft. The Su-57 offer is being discussed against the backdrop of that capability gap. The Indian Express also reported, citing PTI, that New Delhi has not shut the door on the Russian offer, with state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited said to be in contact with the Sukhoi Design Bureau for possible cooperation.
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The echoes of FGFA are heard once more
The Su-57 proposal also revives memories of the earlier India-Russia Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft, or FGFA, program, which New Delhi exited in 2021 over concerns about cost, technology sharing, and performance.
Putin nevertheless insisted that the two countries could still work together on the platform, as he said Russia was ready to jointly develop, produce, and supply the aircraft while sharing key technologies.
