"So far we have an intergovernmental agreement, but we hope to draft and sign a contract with India before the end of the year. Accordingly, practical work on site will start from the beginning of 2017," Viktor Kladov told RIA Novosti.
He specified that the agreement, signed during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s December 24 visit to Russia, details the production of at least 200 helicopters.
"We are ready to transfer to the Indian side all that India is able to manufacture domestically. The first batch of helicopters will be made in Russia, and the next will be assembled in India with a strong degree of localization," Kladov added.
Russia could supply air defense systems and other equipment to the Indian Vikrant-class aircraft carrier currently under construction Kladov said.
"Guidance systems, air defense systems, as well as various systems of airborne weaponry, including anti-aircraft, could be supplied on board the aircraft carrier. An aircraft carrier is a vast platform and we have something to offer to our partners," Kladov told RIA Novosti in an interview.
The first of the Vikrant-class aircraft carriers, the INS Vikramaditya, is Russian-built. The second vessel of the class, INS Vikrant, is set to become India’s first indigenous carrier. However, according to Kladov, India still needs Russia’s technical assistance in various aspects of the INS Vikrant project.
