India to sign defense pacts with Russia

NEW DELHI - India is likely to sign defense pacts with Russia worth 25,000 crores Indian rupees (5 billion U.S. dollars) during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit in this country next week, local media reported Saturday.

The defense pacts will include two mega deals for the supply of 42 more Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets and 59 additional Mi-17 V5 armed choppers, The Times of India newspaper reported.

The 42 new Sukhois, to be produced under license by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics, will add to the 230 Sukhois earlier contracted from Russia, the report said, adding that the price tag of the total consignment stands at 12 billion U.S. dollars.

The medium-lift Mi-17 V5 helicopters will add to the 80 such choppers already being inducted under a 1.34 billion U.S. dollars deal inked in 2008 with Russia, the newspaper said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is to arrive in India Monday.

India is Russia's number one arms importer and Russian defense equipment accounts for nearly 70 percent of Indian arms supplies.