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Modi tells Zelensky peace is achievable through ‘dialogue and diplomacy’ Moscow announces defense deals with India ahead of Modi visit
(about 4 hours later)
The leaders have met at the G7 summit and ahead of Swiss ‘peace’ talks aimed at wooing the Global South State corporation Rostec has said Russia will start manufacturing ‘Mango’ missiles for Indian army’s T-72 and T-90 tanks locally
The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on Friday said he has had a “productive meeting” with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky on the sidelines of the ongoing G7 summit in Italy. The premier’s delegation at the bilateral meeting included External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Rosoboronexport, Russia’s defense-export agency and part of state-owned Rostec defense corporation, has arranged for the production in India of 3VBM17 ‘Mango’ rounds with armor-piercing sub-caliber shells. The project is being implemented under New Delhi’s ‘Make In India’ initiative, which aims to increase the country’s self-sufficiency. 
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Modi noted that India is “eager” to “cement” bilateral relations with Ukraine. He also set out New Delhi’s unchanged position on the conflict. “Regarding the ongoing hostilities, [I have] reiterated that India believes in a human-centric approach and believes that the way to peace is through dialogue and diplomacy,” he wrote. The 125-mm projectiles are designed for firing from the cannons of the T-72 and T-90 tanks deployed by India’s military. These munitions are intended to target armored vehicles with composite protection, Rostec said. Its general director Sergey Chemezov said that “To ensure the highest degree of localization in the production of the Mango rounds, plans are underway to establish the production of propellants in India.”
The two leaders reviewed bilateral ties and exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine, according to India’s foreign affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. “The PM conveyed that India continues to encourage peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy,” he posted on X. According to Chemezov, Rostec has significant experience in industrial partnerships with friendly countries. “Such partnerships enable the importing country to develop its production capabilities – this is a competitive advantage for Rostec as one of the leading suppliers of defense solutions,” an official statement quoted the director as saying. 
While addressing an outreach session of the G7 summit about technology and other issues, Modi noted that the countries of the Global South are “bearing the brunt of global uncertainties and tensions” and that India has considered it its responsibility “to put the priorities and concerns of the countries of the Global South on the world stage.” Russia and India engage in several such projects, according to defense officials. This includes the licensed production of T-90 tanks, Su-30MKI fighters and other weapons systems. 
Since the escalation of Russia-Ukraine hostilities in early 2022, New Delhi has maintained a balanced approach to the conflict and its parties, continuing to expand ties with the West while maintaining strategic partnership with Moscow and ramping up energy-resource procurement, despite tight scrutiny from Washington and Brussels. According to Alexander Mikheev, head of Rosoboronexport, the facility for manufacturing Mango tank rounds in India has been set up using the capabilities of an Indian defense company. “This enables the Indian side to master the transferred technology and organize production,” he noted.
On Wednesday, India said that it would participate in the upcoming Swiss-hosted talks on Ukraine at an “appropriate level.” Zelensky, commenting on meeting with Modi on his Telegram channel, thanked the Indian leader for sending a “high-level” delegation. In a separate statement on Thursday, Rostec announced that another Indo-Russian joint venture has produced and delivered 35,000 AK-203 Kalashnikov rifles to the Indian Ministry of Defense. The AK-203s are produced in India using exclusive Russian technologies and certified equipment, the corporation noted.
Kiev has been making substantial efforts to see Modi’s personal participation in the ‘peace conference,’ which is being held without Russia’s participation. The joint venture was co-founded by Rosoboronexport and Kalashnikov Concern, part of the Rostec State Corporation, on the Russian side and, on the Indian side, by several state defense companies. The manufacturing has been established in Korwa Ordnance Factory in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh. “The Indo-Russian joint venture is a vivid example of the fruitful cooperation between our countries in the defense sector,” Mikheev said. 
In March, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba traveled to Delhi to discuss India’s participation and to seek support for Kiev’s ‘peace formula’ for the conflict – one which Moscow has rejected. In his interviews with Indian media Kuleba claimed that New Delhi’s relationship with Russia is based on the Soviet legacy, which is “extinct and has no future.” In contrast, Ukraine-India relations have “more [of a] future,” he insisted, while suggesting that India could “influence the way Russia behaves” because of its close ties to Moscow. Russia remains the largest defense supplier to India, though the South Asian nation has been diversifying its sources of military imports and technological partnerships, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). BrahMos missiles, co-developed by India and Russia, have emerged as a mainstay  in the Indian armed forces as well as a key military export item for New Delhi.
Kuleba’s statements are in sharp contrast to New Delhi’s assertions about its “time-tested” relationship with Moscow. According to its foreign minister, Russia and India take “extra care” to look after each other’s interests. Bilateral trade between the two surged to $65 billion last year, boosted largely by Indian imports of Russian oil. Early this year, a batch of BrahMos missiles worth $375 million was supplied to the Philippines. Other nations – including Thailand, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia – have reportedly expressed interest in acquiring the supersonic cruise missiles.
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