Visit India to see Cheetah in all its splendour: PM Modi on International Cheetah Day
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said Project Cheetah was an effort to revive lost ecological heritage and urged wildlife enthusiasts to visit India to see the wild cat in all its splendour.
In a post on X on International Cheetah Day, the prime minister extended best wishes to "all wildlife lovers and conservationists dedicated to protecting the cheetah, one of the planet's most remarkable creatures."
"Three years ago, our Government launched Project Cheetah with the aim of safeguarding this magnificent animal and restoring the ecosystem in which it can truly flourish. It was also an effort to revive lost ecological heritage and strengthen our biodiversity," Modi said.
He said India is proud to be home to several cheetahs, and a significant number of them are born on Indian soil.
Many of them now thrive in the Kuno National Park and the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary.
"It is heartening to see cheetah tourism growing in popularity as well. I encourage more wildlife enthusiasts from across the world to visit India and witness the cheetah in all its splendour," the prime minister said.
"Our progress in cheetah conservation has been possible only through the collective support of our people, especially our dedicated Cheetah Mitras.
"Protecting wildlife and living in harmony with nature are integral to India's civilisational ethos and we see that spirit alive today in these efforts," the prime minister said.
India's ambitious efforts to reintroduce the cheetah to its natural habitats have entered a promising new phase, with significant progress recorded in population growth, habitat expansion, and international partnerships, officials said.
A total of 20 cheetahs were introduced into Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh - eight from Namibia in September 2022 and 12 from South Africa in February 2023.
Many had doubts when the cheetah was reintroduced, but these have now proved to be wrong, officials said.
As of December 2025, India sustains a thriving population of 32 cheetahs, of which 21 are India-born cubs.
In a recent milestone, an India-born female Mukhi delivered five healthy cubs in November 2025.
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Russian military hardware, spare parts for Indian military to be manufactured in India
New Delhi (PTI): Russia agreed to encourage joint manufacturing in India of military hardware and spare parts for maintenance of Russian-origin arms and defence equipment.
Ways to bolster overall bilateral defence cooperation figured prominently during summit talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.
It has been a long-standing grievance of armed forces that the supply of critical spares and equipment from Russia takes a long time, affecting the maintenance of military systems procured from that country.
"Both sides agreed to encourage joint manufacturing in India of spare parts, components, aggregates and other products for maintenance of Russian origin arms and defence equipment under Make-in-India programme through transfer of technology," a joint statement said.
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It said both sides also agreed to set up joint ventures for meeting the needs of the Indian armed forces as well as subsequent export to mutually friendly third countries.
The joint statement said the India-Russia defence partnership is being reoriented to take up joint co-development and co-production of advanced defence technology and systems.
In their meeting on Thursday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov resolved to expand bilateral defence cooperation.
In the meeting, the Indian side showed keen interest in procurement of additional batches of S-400 missile systems from Moscow to bolster its combat prowess.
In October 2018, India signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, notwithstanding a warning by the US that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions under the provisions of Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
Three squadrons have already been delivered.
The S-400 systems played a crucial role during Operation Sindoor. India may also look at procuring the S-500 missile systems from Russia.
In the Modi-Putin talks, the two sides also agreed to continue jointly developing systems of bilateral trade settlements through the use of national currencies.
Additionally, the two sides agreed to continue their consultations on enabling the interoperability of the national payment systems, financial messaging systems, as well as central bank digital currency platforms.
Modi and Putin appreciated the ongoing intensification of the joint work on a free trade agreement on goods between India and the Eurasian Economic Union, covering sectors of mutual interest, the joint statement said.
They also directed both sides to intensify efforts in negotiations on a mutually beneficial agreement on the promotion and protection of investment, it said.
India and Russia also welcomed steps to ensure long-term supply of fertilisers to India and discussed the potential establishment of joint ventures in this area.
