India has manufactured a batch of Igla-S man-portable air defense systems under a Russian license.

The Armyrecognition reported that in May the batch will be handed over to the Indian company Adani Defense Systems and Technologies Limited (ADSTL).

As part of the technology transfer agreement with the Russian company Rosoboronexport, the Indian company will produce and supply 48 Igla-S launchers and 100 missiles to the army at the first stage.

Back in 2018, the Indian Ministry of Defense selected the Russian 9K338 Igla-S air defense system as the winner of a tender for the supply of short-range air defense missile systems intended to replace the Igla-1M.

“Rosoboronexport” also beat out the French company MBDA with Mistral 2 and the Swedish company SAAB with RBS-70 Mk.2.

The cost of the sale of 5175 missiles and 800 launchers was previously estimated at $1.5 billion.

No contract for the supply of MANPADS was reported afterward. 

However, both Russia and India stated in their reports to the UN Register of Conventional Arms Transfers that 390 MANPADS launchers and 2,184 guided missiles were delivered to India in 2021.

Starting in 2022, both countries no longer provided information to the UN Register.

It is known that the delegation led by the Indian Defense Minister at the talks in Moscow in July 2021 asked to accelerate the supply of Igla-S MANPADS, assault rifles, and ammunition for various Russian-made systems.

It has also recently become known that India has developed a domestic radar for Su-30MKI aircraft to replace the Russian one.

In 2024, India became a major supplier of sanctioned technologies to Russia. The Indian authorities hardly respond to appeals from other countries regarding this issue.