Last year, the Kazan Helicopters plant, a subsidiary of the Russian Helicopters JSC, launched production of new Mil Mi-17-V5 helicopters to India under a large contract for 80 machines, signed by the Indian Defence Ministry’s Acquisition Department and Rosoboronexport state corporation in December 2008, during Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to New Delhi. The contract became the major recent export deal on the helicopters of the Mi-17 family made in the city of Kazan. The media reported in the wake of the contract’s signature that the aircraft were to be delivered during 2011–2014.

The Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters have long been in service with the Indian Air Force and several other Indian users. The first Kazan Helicopters-built Mi-8Ts showed up in India more than three decades ago and have become all the rage doth in the course of daily operation and during several armed conflicts. India started taking delivery from Kazan of more efficient Mi-17s powered by TV3-117MT engines in 1986, with 53 aircraft of the type ordered then. In 2000, the Indian Defence Ministry ordered another batch comprising 40 modified Mi-17-1Vs. More than 150 Mi-8Ts and Mi-17s were operated in the country early in the last decade as a result.

According to the Flight International magazine, IAF had maintained a fleet of 112 Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters by year-end 2010 and the delivery of new Mi-17-V5s will begin in March 2011. It became known last year that IAF was intent on beefing up its Mi-17 fleet even more. According to IAF Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik, the Indian Defence Ministry is pondering the placement of an order for 59 more helicopters of the type.