NEW DELHI – India is finalising Rs40,000 crore deal to procure S-400Triumf air defence missile systems from Russia.

The deal is in final stages as both countries are working out thedifferences over price which India would look to sort out during itsDefence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s upcoming visit to Moscow, theofficial sources said in New Delhi on Sunday.

India wants to procure the long-range missile systems to tighten its airdefence mechanism, particularly when China has been ramping up its militarymanoeuvring along the nearly 4,000km Sino-India border.

In 2016, India and Russia had signed an agreement on ‘Triumf’interceptor-based missile system which can destroy incoming hostileaircraft, missiles and even drones at ranges of up to 400km. S-400 is knownas Russia’s most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system.

China was the first foreign buyer to seal a government-to-government dealwith Russia in 2014 to procure the lethal missile system and Moscow hasalready started delivery of unknown number of the S-400 missile systems toChina.

The sources said Sitharaman will travel to Moscow within the next six weeksand she may push for sealing the long-pending deal at the earliest.

“Sealing the S-400 deal will be a major focus of Sitharaman’s visit toRussia,” said a source familiar with the deal, which would be one ofbiggest with Russia in recent years.

Negotiators from both countries have been in talks for over one and halfyears for the purchase of at least five systems of S-400 which are capableof firing three types of missiles, creating a layered defence.

The S-400 is an upgraded version of the S-300 systems. The missile systemis manufactured by Almaz-Antey and has been in service in Russia since2007.

The sources also said that no decision could be taken on the long-pendingfifth-generation fighter jet project with Russia.