Kazakhstan’s First Deputy Minister of Defence and Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Sultan Kamaletdinov, visited India in early August 2025 to strengthen defense cooperation, with a key focus on upgrading Kazakhstan’s Su-30SM fighter jets using India’s expertise gained from the Su-30MKI program. High-level meetings with India’s Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, and Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth emphasized expanding bilateral defense ties, technology collaboration, and joint training initiatives. Kazakhstan, facing challenges from Western sanctions on Russia impacting spare parts supply, is keen to leverage India’s successful indigenous advancements to enhance operational efficiency of its Su-30SM fleet, which shares significant commonalities with India’s Su-30MKI. The visit included the Kazakh delegation’s tour of the National Defence College, underscoring deepening military-to-military engagement. This partnership represents a strategic move by both nations to bolster regional stability and defense capabilities amid shifting geopolitical dynamics, positioning India as a key player in Central Asian security and expanding its defense influence beyond the immediate neighborhood. The enhancement aligns with broader defense diplomacy goals to counterbalance influences from China and Pakistan while fostering regional peace.