Find out the story of how the late Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar transformed India's air defence with his visionary push for the S-400 Triumf missile system. In 2016, Parrikar’s bold intervention and strategic leadership set India on the path to acquiring one of the world’s most advanced surface-to-air missile systems from Russia, the S-400, saving the nation nearly ₹49,300 crore and future-proofing its skies against evolving threats. Watch.
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00:00Any defense acquisition goes through a tedious process and so many years pass until the defense
00:15forces get what they want. So did S-400 triumph system from Russia. It is like raising a request,
00:23justifying why they need it and then look for the options in the market. See what we have as a budget
00:30and then look at how we are going to buy. Today, we will be discussing the induction of the much
00:37talked about S-400 triumph aka Sudarshan Chakra of the Indian Defense Forces. To make it happen,
00:46there was one man who definitely had to be credited. Manohar Parikar.
00:53Though the final signing of the S-400 procurement happened under then Defense Minister Nirmala
01:04Sitaraman, it was Manohar Parikar, the former Defense Minister of India, who laid the foundation
01:10for the S-400 deal and held firm against growing US pressure. Parikar, known for his pragmatic and
01:18national interest-first approach, saw the S-400 as critical to India's air defense modernization.
01:25He emphasized strategic autonomy, underscoring that India would not allow foreign powers to dictate
01:32its defense procurements. Under his tenure, the groundwork was laid. Technical evaluations,
01:40price discussions, and risk assessments, including how to manage fallout from US sanctions.
01:46How did this all happen? Let's start from the start. The induction of the S-400 triumph air
01:53defense system into India's defense forces was a result of long-term strategic planning
01:59and assertive diplomacy, aimed at bolstering the country's air defense capabilities amid increasing
02:06regional threats. Around the late 2000s, India began assessing the vulnerability of its airspace to
02:13advanced threats, including ballistic missiles, stealth aircraft, and cruise missiles from neighboring
02:19adversaries. The Indian Air Force and Indian Army both recognized the need for an advanced long-range
02:27surface-to-air missile system that could provide multi-layered defense. The request for information
02:34for a long-range surface-to-air missile system was floated by the Indian Ministry of Defense
02:40at around 2010, calling for a system capable of detecting, tracking, and neutralizing aerial threats
02:48at ranges of over 400 kilometers. This request for information sparked interest from global defense
02:56companies, offering systems like the US THARD and PAC-3 Patriot, Israel's David's Sling, and Russia's S-300,
03:05and then the more advanced S-400 triumph. India had long-standing defense ties with Russia,
03:12which included platforms like the MiG-series fighters, Sukhoi Su-30MKI, T-90 tanks, and more.
03:20When Russia showcased the S-400 triumph system, a fourth-generation air defense missile system,
03:27capable of engaging targets at 400 kilometers with high precision and the ability to track multiple
03:33targets, it piqued India's strategic interest. By 2015, India expressed formal interest in the S-400
03:42during bilateral discussions with Russia. An intergovernmental agreement was signed in 2016
03:48during the BRICS summit in Goa, where India confirmed its intent to purchase five S-400 regiments.
03:56The request for proposal was issued as part of a government-to-government deal, bypassing a
04:02competitive bidding process. The deal was valued at over $5 billion, making it one of India's most
04:09expensive defense acquisitions. Final negotiations took place over 2017-18, addressing pricing,
04:18delivery timelines, and local offsets. The contract was formally signed in October 2018 during Russian
04:25President Vladimir Putin's visit to India. The United States, under the Countering America's
04:31Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, i.e. CAATSA, a law passed in 2017 to deter countries from engaging in
04:39defense deals with Iran, North Korea, and Russia, warned India of potential economic sanctions if it
04:46proceeded with the S-400 deal. Washington argued that buying the S-400 could compromise the security
04:54of U.S. supplied defense equipment, like the C-17 Globemaster, Apache helicopters, and P-8I
05:02surveillance aircraft. U.S. officials, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense
05:08Secretary James Mattis, held multiple rounds of talks with their Indian counterparts, urging them to
05:14reconsider. Despite intense lobbying and wheel threats from the U.S., Manohar Parikar stayed firm,
05:21reflecting its independent foreign policy stance. The S-400 deal became a symbol of India's strategic
05:30autonomy and willingness to make decisions aligned with its security needs, rather than geopolitical
05:37pressures. Deliveries of the S-400 began in late 2021, and units have since been deployed in key
05:45regions, including near the China and Pakistan borders, providing India with a significant deterrent
05:53and defense capability. As tensions between India and Pakistan reached a boiling point, a wave of missiles
06:00and drones streaked across the night sky, targeting key Indian cities and military bases. But India's airspace
06:09held firm, shielded by a technological marvel. The S-400 surface-to-air missile defense system. The S-400
06:18codenamed Sudarshan Chakra by the Indian Air Force intercepted and neutralized dozens of incoming threats, saving lives
06:27and averting escalation. Each S-400 unit can simultaneously track 160 targets and engage 72 with missiles capable
06:38of striking threats up to 400 kilometers away and at altitudes up to 30 kilometers. Its rapid activation and
06:47mobility made it the backbone of India's air defense in this crisis. But this shield did not appear
06:55overnight. Its story begins near a decade earlier, with a visionary leader whose quiet determination changed
07:02India's military future, the late Manohar Parikar.
07:11Born in Goa in 1955, Manohar Parikar was an IIT Bombay alumnus known for its engineering acumen and integrity.
07:20As defense minister from 2014 to 2017, he quietly laid the groundwork for one of India's most powerful defense
07:29accusations. In 2016, while headlines focused elsewhere, Parikar initiated a comprehensive review
07:37of India's air defense strategy. He pushed for a technical reassessment, personally engaging with scientists,
07:44military leaders, military leaders, and engineers to evaluate the world's best systems.
07:49The findings were clear. The S-400's long-range coverage could make many planned short- and medium-range
07:57missile purchases redundant, saving the exchequer nearly 49,300 crore rupees over the next decade.
08:06Parikar convinced the Air Force that a layered defense anchored by the S-400 would offer unmatched
08:13value and protection. Parikar moved swiftly. Despite a delicate global climate and looming US sanctions
08:22threat, he led negotiations with Russia, finalizing a $5.43 billion deal for five S-400 systems in 2016.
08:34His technical background and hands-on approach cut through bureaucratic delays. Parikar's insistence
08:40on direct consultations and strategic clarity ensured India could move fast when the moment came.
08:47The S-400 is a game-changer. Its radars can detect and track up to 300 targets at a distance of 600
08:55kilometers. It can engage aircraft, drones, cruise missiles, and even ballistic missiles traveling at
09:02hypersonic speeds. With a setup time of just five minutes, its mobility and rapid response make it
09:09ideal for defending vast territories and critical assets. Today, as the S-400 stands guard over Indian
09:17skies, its presence is both a tactical edge and a psychological deterrent. In the 2025 crisis,
09:25it proved its worth, intercepting the majority of enemy projectiles and forcing adversaries to rethink
09:33their strategies. Manohar Parikar's foresight, technical expertise, and unwavering commitment
09:40to India's security made this possible. The S-400 missile system shows Parikar's vision and the
09:48nation's resolve. Three squadrons of the S-400 have arrived in 2018 and have been deployed since,
09:55with more expected to be delivered this year. As India looks to the future, the legacy of Manohar
10:01Parikar and the S-400 will continue to safeguard its skies, standing as a silent, powerful guardian
10:09in times of peace and conflict.