India and Russia on Friday agreed to promote joint manufacturing in India of spare parts, components and aggregates for the upkeep of Russian-origin arms and defence equipment.

The move, under the Make-in-India programme, will involve technology transfer and the setting up of joint ventures to meet the needs of the Indian Armed Forces and enable exports to mutually friendly third countries.

The announcement was part of a joint statement issued after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin .

Despite defence ties being a key focus, no new defence deal was announced in the joint statement.

The Modi-Putin talks followed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh ’s meeting with Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov on Thursday, where the two discussed ways to expand de

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