Russia has formally offered the Indian Navy its advanced NPO SATURN M-90FR gas turbine engine, with an accompanying provision for technology transfer (ToT) to facilitate localised production in India, TASS reported.

The offer comes at a strategically significant time, as India continues to face challenges in sourcing Ukrainian-origin power plants that were traditionally integrated into Russian-designed warships, such as frigates and destroyers.

Since the onset of the Ukraine conflict, the supply of critical naval propulsion systems—primarily Zorya-Mashproekt marine gas turbines—has been disrupted, creating vulnerabilities in the operational readiness and future fleet integration plans of the Indian Navy.

To mitigate these risks and stabilise India's naval propulsion ecosystem, Russia has positioned the M-90FR as a reliable replacement, not only as an import solution but also with the prospect of manufacturing the turbine indigenously through technology-sharing arrangements with Indian industry partners.

The M-90FR is a modern marine gas turbine developed and produced by the Russian United Engine Corporation (UEC), part of the state-owned ROSTEC conglomerate.

The engine has already been deployed successfully onboard Admiral Gorshkov-class frigates in the Russian Navy and is designed for high-performance warships requiring approximately 20-25 megawatts of output.

Its architecture enables excellent operational endurance, improved efficiency compared to older Soviet-era turbines, and engineering scalability suitable for integration into a variety of surface combatants.

For India, whose frontline platforms such as the Talwar-class (Krivak-class) frigates and other Russian-origin vessels were originally built around Ukrainian turbines, the M-90FR offers not only a pathway to standardise propulsion across existing and future hulls but also a means to insulate its naval build programs from external geopolitical dependencies.

The offer is also closely tied to India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat policy thrust and the Navy’s longstanding emphasis on self-reliance in shipbuilding and sustainment.

By including ToT in the proposal, Russia is signalling readiness to cooperate on domestic manufacturing of turbine modules, spares, and related components within India's emerging defence industrial ecosystem.

This collaboration would likely involve state-run shipyards and propulsion integration facilities, supported by private sector firms with competencies in precision engineering, metallurgy, and turbine assembly.

The ability to produce M-90FR engines domestically would mark a major propulsion-indigenisation milestone for the Indian Navy, reducing operational risks linked to spare shortages, speeding up mid-life upgrades and refits of the fleet, and ensuring uninterrupted trials of new surface combatants.

From a strategic perspective, Russia’s offer represents an evolution in bilateral defence-industrial ties, where New Delhi has been seeking greater technology access and less dependence on direct imports.

For Moscow, it is equally an opportunity to offset the loss of Ukrainian suppliers, sustain its market dominance in India’s naval propulsion domain, and reinforce its role as a primary defence partner amidst stiff competition from Western OEMs.

If accepted, the M-90FR induction plan could strongly complement India’s indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) and advanced destroyer programs, such as Project-15B Visakhapatnam-class and the upcoming next-generation destroyers, by integrating a propulsion system aligned with future naval growth.

However, significant challenges remain to be addressed in the process of transfer and deployment. 

These include compatibility modifications for Indian hulls that were designed around different turbine dimensions and interface standards, establishing long-term supply chains for critical alloys and turbine blades, and ensuring that India receives the depth of transfer necessary to become independent in overhauls and lifecycle sustainment.

Furthermore, geopolitical pressures may influence the timeline and scope of cooperation, especially as Moscow’s industrial capacity is constrained by its own naval requirements and wartime priorities. Despite these hurdles, New Delhi is expected to seriously consider the offer, as it resolves an urgent operational need while advancing the broader agenda of Make in India.

In conclusion, the Russian offer of M-90FR gas turbines with technology transfer aligns with India’s dual objectives of operational continuity and defence self-reliance.

By potentially establishing a domestic production line for a modern naval propulsion system, India can secure resilience in its warship programs, reduce future dependencies on volatile supply chains, and reinforce its long-term maritime security architecture.

The proposal, if finalised, would stand out as a key enabler of naval modernisation, much like past Indo-Russian collaborations in BrahMos missile systems and carrier aviation, underscoring the enduring importance of industrial partnerships in India’s quest for maritime power projection.

IDN (With Inputs From Agencies)