The largest Russian shipbuilding company has said it would like to participate in Indian defense indigenization efforts

Moscow and New Delhi are looking to expand cooperation in naval construction, the head of the largest shipbuilding company in Russia has said. Speaking at the official handing-over ceremony of the frigate Tamal to the Indian Navy on Tuesday, United Shipbuilding Corporation Chief Executive Andrey Puchkov said Moscow was ready to assist New Delhi in its efforts to indigenize its naval hardware.

"India is an old trusted friend, and we always try to deliver the best we have to our Indian friends," Puchkov said. "As you know, we have built a full series of ships for our Indian colleagues and today we have finished the batch built in Russia."

The Tamal is the eighth Russian-made Krivak-class frigate to be delivered to India over the past two decades, and uses 26% Indian components. It was built at the Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad, and its construction was monitored by Indian specialists from the Warship Overseeing Team, according to the Indian Defense Ministry.

"We will continue providing all the needed equipment so that our friends can build ships indigenously as part of the 'Make in India' program, but this is only part of our work," Puchkov added. "We have a vast number of new ideas to bring to life, and I think that both the Russian and Indian sides are interested."

Indian Navy officials have welcomed Russian participation in the Indian defense industry. "The name Tamal symbolizes the mythical sword used in battle by Indra, the King of Gods, which is also featured on the ship's crest," Sanjay J. Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command said on Tuesday. "The ship's mascot is a combination of Jambavan, the immortal bear king of Indian mythology, and the Russian national animal, the Eurasian brown bear." 

India's military currently relies heavily on Russian-origin equipment, with around 60% of its arsenal being of Russian make. Last week, Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov and his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh held talks on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in China, discussing the supply of S-400 systems, Su-30 MKI upgrades, and procurement of critical military hardware.

In December 2024, India received a Russian-built Project 11356 stealth frigate, INS Tushil. India is also building two similar frigates, which are part of the Triput class, at Goa shipyard, with transfer of technology and design assistance from Russia.