Russia is exploring the possibility of adding the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile to its military arsenal, with talks also focusing on increasing production to meet future needs, BrahMos Aerospace CEO Jaiteerth Joshi said on June 18.
Speaking in Nagpur during an event marking the rollout of the 100th indigenous booster produced by Solar Industries India Ltd, Joshi said Russia has expressed interest in the missile despite already having industrial partners involved in the BrahMos programme.
According to Joshi, discussions are ongoing between both sides. He said Russia wants to enhance its missile inventory in view of current strategic requirements and is examining ways to expand production capacity.
He noted that while Russia already has manufacturing facilities for the missile, additional capacity may be required if demand increases. In such a scenario, India could support production and supply requirements.
The BrahMos missile, jointly developed by India’s DRDO and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia, has gained significant international attention and remains one of India’s leading defence export products.
Joshi said the missile’s strong reputation has been built over more than two decades of successful development, testing and deployment, making it attractive to potential buyers.
Referring to Operation Sindoor, he said the missile’s performance in a live operational environment further strengthened confidence in the system. He described it as a rare example of a weapon proving its effectiveness under real combat conditions.
On the export front, Joshi revealed that negotiations with Vietnam are in the final stages, with only a few approvals pending before an agreement can be signed. He added that discussions are also continuing with several other countries interested in acquiring the missile.
The growing interest in BrahMos is expected to boost India’s defence exports and support the country’s push for self-reliance in defence manufacturing under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.