India awaits Russian clearance to finalise BrahMos missile deal with Indonesia

India is close to concluding a landmark defence export deal with Indonesia for the sale of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system. All domestic approvals and technical formalities have reportedly been completed, but the deal remains subject to mandatory clearance from Russia, India’s joint partner in the missile project.

The proposed sale is regarded as a significant strategic and industrial milestone for India, as it would mark another major export success following the earlier deployment of BrahMos systems by the Philippines. Officials in New Delhi view the transaction as a crucial step in strengthening India’s status as an emerging global arms supplier and a reliable partner in Indo-Pacific security.

The BrahMos missile system is the product of an Indo-Russian joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia.

Formed in 1998, BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL) was established to co-develop and produce a high-speed, precision strike weapon leveraging Russian propulsion and Indian guidance, navigation, and manufacturing expertise.

Both countries maintain equal stakes in the missile’s intellectual property and export rights under the terms of the joint venture agreement. As such, any proposed sale of BrahMos missiles to a third nation requires prior consent from both India and Russia. This dual-approval arrangement ensures that neither side can independently authorise exports or modify the missile configuration without the other’s concurrence.

Russia’s mandatory approval stems from both technological and legal obligations embedded in the joint venture framework. Since key propulsion systems and design elements originate from Russian sources, Moscow retains control over the re-export of such components. The export policy stipulates that only sales to friendly, non-hostile countries aligned with the strategic interests of both partners can be considered.

For this reason, while India leads export negotiations and manages operational production, every transaction must be cleared by Russia on geopolitical and technical grounds. This mechanism aims to prevent the proliferation of high-end cruise missile technology that could alter regional power balances or contravene international arms control norms.

The prospective deal with Indonesia has been under discussion for several years and gained momentum after a series of high-level exchanges between New Delhi and Jakarta. Earlier this year, senior Indonesian defence officials visited India, where the BrahMos acquisition was a key topic.

More recently, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan travelled to Jakarta to deepen bilateral defence cooperation and discuss maritime security collaboration in the Indian Ocean region.

For Indonesia, the acquisition would enhance coastal defence and deterrence capabilities across its vast archipelago, particularly in the South China Sea and the Malacca Strait. For India, it would signify the second regional export of a major indigenous system and strengthen its ‘Act East’ policy through practical defence partnerships.

Once Moscow’s concurrence is obtained, the contract could be signed within months, with deliveries scheduled thereafter. The negotiation carries symbolic weight beyond its monetary value—demonstrating India’s maturing defence ecosystem and its ability to co-hold global-class technology with trusted partners.

The successful closure of the Indonesia deal, following the Philippines contract, would affirm the credibility of Indian defence manufacturing in the international market and reinforce collaborative defence diplomacy across the Indo-Pacific region.

Agencies