As tensions simmer between major world powers and the global balance of influence shifts, a new set of developments is drawing the world’s attention to Asia’s geopolitical chessboard. Russia’s recent offer to supply India with its advanced Su-57 stealth fighter jet technology, alongside deepening partnerships among China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, is sending ripples through diplomatic and defense circles from Washington to New Delhi.
On November 20, 2025, Denis Alipov, Moscow’s ambassador to Delhi, made headlines when he told Russian state news agency Tass that Russia and India were engaged in “intensive work” on the Su-57E stealth fighter platform. The Su-57, Russia’s most advanced fifth-generation fighter jet, is seen as a symbol of cutting-edge military technology and national prestige. But what makes this offer especially noteworthy is the level of access Russia is dangling before India.
“We are supplying India with all kinds of military equipment according to its needs and strengthening future cooperation,” Sergey Chemezov, CEO of Rostec—Russia’s state-owned defense and industrial conglomerate—told Tass just a day earlier, on November 19. Chemezov went further, stating that Moscow was prepared to share Su-57 technology without conditions, citing the close partnership between the two countries. According to South China Morning Post, this is an “unprecedented” localization offer, suggesting Russia is willing to go further than ever before in technology transfer and co-production.
For India, this overture could not have come at a more strategic moment. With its ties to the United States under strain—over issues ranging from defense procurement to divergent foreign policy interests—New Delhi is looking to assert its autonomy and demonstrate that it has alternatives. As analysts cited by South China Morning Post point out, the Su-57 proposal “offers India a timely opportunity to demonstrate that it has ‘strategic options’ as it navigates a balancing act between rival powers.”
India has long relied on Russian military hardware, but in recent years, it has sought to diversify its suppliers, deepening defense ties with the United States, France, and Israel. However, the relationship with Washington has not always been smooth. U.S. concerns over India’s acquisition of Russian S-400 missile defense systems, for example, have led to the threat of sanctions and complicated the broader strategic partnership. Against this backdrop, Russia’s willingness to share its crown-jewel fighter jet technology is both a carrot and a signal: Moscow wants to revitalize its defense relationship with one of its top arms buyers and remind the world that it remains a formidable player in global arms sales.
Meanwhile, the broader context in which this offer is being made is anything but simple. A new report released in November 2025 by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission warns that China is actively pursuing efforts to build an “alternative world order” centered around itself. According to the commission, China is deepening its strategic, military, and economic cooperation with Russia, Iran, and North Korea—an alignment that has become more pronounced amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
The commission’s annual report highlights how this expanding network of partnerships is strengthening the collective ability of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea to counter the interests of the United States and its allies. The report specifically notes that China, Iran, and North Korea have provided Russia with political, economic, and military support, helping Moscow weather the storm of U.S.-led sanctions and diplomatic isolation since the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict.
One vivid illustration of this growing alignment came during a military parade in Beijing, held to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Chinese President Xi Jinping stood shoulder to shoulder with leaders from Russia, North Korea, Iran, and more than 20 mostly authoritarian states—a tableau that the commission cites as a clear indication of China’s ambition to reshape global norms and power structures. The report argues that China favors “flexible partnerships” over formal alliances, an approach that reflects what it calls an “opportunistic diplomatic strategy.”
For Washington and its partners, the implications are sobering. The commission warns that the deepening coordination among Beijing, Moscow, Tehran, and Pyongyang poses serious challenges to security in the Indo-Pacific region. It raises the specter of “opportunistic aggression,” where these states could exploit moments of Western distraction or division to advance their interests—whether through military moves, economic coercion, or diplomatic maneuvers.
The commission concludes that the evolving alignment among these countries demands close attention from Washington and the broader international community. With the Indo-Pacific already a hotbed of strategic competition, the emergence of a more tightly knit bloc of authoritarian states could complicate efforts to maintain regional stability and deter aggression.
Back in New Delhi, the Su-57 offer is being weighed not just as a matter of military procurement, but as part of a larger diplomatic calculus. Accepting Russia’s proposal could give India access to advanced stealth technology and bolster its indigenous defense industry through unprecedented localization. At the same time, it could raise eyebrows in Washington and other Western capitals, potentially complicating India’s efforts to maintain strong ties with multiple partners.
For Russia, the offer is a way to deepen its own strategic options. Facing Western sanctions and international isolation, Moscow is eager to reinforce its traditional defense relationships and showcase its continued relevance as a supplier of high-end military technology. By offering the Su-57 to India with “unprecedented” localization and technology transfer, Russia is not only seeking economic benefits but also sending a message to the West that it can still shape the security landscape in Asia.
All the while, China’s efforts to build an alternative world order—with Russia, Iran, and North Korea as key partners—add a layer of complexity to India’s decision-making. While India and China share a long, contested border and a history of strategic rivalry, New Delhi must also consider the broader geopolitical shifts that are underway. The deepening ties between Beijing and Moscow, coupled with their outreach to other authoritarian states, are reshaping the contours of global power in ways that could have lasting consequences for India’s security and autonomy.
As the world watches these maneuvers unfold, one thing is clear: the stakes are high, and the choices made in the coming months could reverberate far beyond the region. Whether India embraces Russia’s Su-57 offer or seeks to hedge its bets, the interplay between great-power competition, emerging alliances, and shifting strategic interests is set to define the next chapter in the Indo-Pacific story.
In a world where alliances are shifting and new partnerships are being forged, every move on the geopolitical chessboard matters—and the latest developments in Asia are proof that the game is far from over.