It is being widely reported in the Indian press that during President Putin's visit to New Delhi later today, India and Russia are likely to review the development of the BrahMos missiles and its proposed variants.
Here is a quick analysis of the cooperation India is seeking for the existing BrahMos missile. In a subsequent post, I will dwell on the assistance we need for the development of the BrahMos-NG variant, which still remains largely conceptual. Notably, in March 2011, former BrahMos Aerospace chief A. Sivathanu Pillai had announced the start of its development with much fanfare
BrahMos Upgrade
India is not seeking Russian assistance to upgrade the existing BrahMos missile to increase its range, as some sections of the Indian press have reported. Instead, it is seeking Russian cooperation to reduce the missile’s production cost and thereby enhance its export potential.
The use of the BrahMos missile during Operation Sindoor not only impacted runways and hangars in Pakistan in a bad way, it also impacted global interest in the missile—in a good way. Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has stated that at least 14 countries have expressed interest in acquiring the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile following its demonstrated success in the operation.
BrahMos Export Performance
The problem with the export of the Brahmos is that it's way too expensive. As such, procuring it in operationally significant numbers is beyond the fiscal capabilities of several small nations.
India has so far exported the BrahMos missile to the Philippines, with deliveries of multiple batches completed under a $375 million deal signed in 2022.
Recent reports suggest that in October 2025 India signed export contracts with two undisclosed countries worth approximately $455 million.
Negotiations are underway for the export of the missile to Vietnam ($700 million) and Indonesia ($450 million).
BrahMos Unit Price
Based on procurement figures of the Indian Armed Forces, the standard BrahMos missile is estimated to cost $2–3 million per unit, while the extended-range (ER) variant typically ranges from $3–4 million.
Prices can vary within both standard and ER categories depending on whether the missile is configured as an anti-ship variant or a land-attack cruise missile (LACM), each carrying different mission-specific features.
Cost Comparisons
Because of its high supersonic speed and large warhead, the BrahMos is a unique and potent missile. Only Russia and China have peer missiles.
Russia's Onyx (P-800 Oniks) missile is a Brahmos analog that has been extensively and very effectively used in the war in Ukraine. Russia exports the missile. It's price is estimated at approximately $1.25 million based on multiple defense analyses and reports.
The British Storm Shadow missile - which admittedly is a subsonic missile, but being stealthy, has good penetration - has a price tag estimated to be around $2 million.
Reasons for High Cost of Brahmos
The fact that India is discussing the unit cost of the BrahMos with Russia strongly suggests that Russia is exporting critical BrahMos components to India for final assembly. In other words, Russia’s profits come from the sale of these components—not from the missile itself. The reality is that BrahMos Aerospace functions less as a true joint venture and more as a structured arrangement in which the foreign partner earns revenue by supplying high-value parts.
In this respect, BrahMos Aerospace is no different from many of India’s joint ventures with Western or Israeli aerospace firms, where the commercial model similarly relies on exporting components rather than sharing the full value chain of the weapon system.
What is likely, however, is that Russia may be willing to make an exception for India—precisely to underscore how highly it values the strategic partnership.
Preliminary Cost Reduction Negotiations
BrahMos Aerospace Deputy CEO Chilukoti Chandrasekhar visited Moscow in September 2025 to discuss with the Russians India's plans to expand production capacity and lower costs.
During his visit, responding to a question from TASS, he told journalists.
"The Russian side and the Indian side, both of us, are working to reduce the cost of the missiles so that more export orders can be honored at the same time. To augment the requirements for export as well as for our own need — for our own armed forces — we need to augment our production facilities also. We are working with our Russian partners to augment this facility," he said in response to a question from TASS.
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