Despite pushing hard for Atmanirbharta, the country is now eyeing five more S-400 squadrons; a ₹50,000 crore deal. Why? Because during Operation Sindoor, the S-400 proved its mettle, locking down skies when it mattered most. Meanwhile, DRDO’s Project Kusha; India’s homegrown answer to long-range air defence; is still in the lab. The irony? Even as we celebrate indigenous tech, real-world threats make us lean back on proven Russian systems. It’s not a betrayal of self-reliance; it’s a survival tactic. The real question isn’t whether we should buy more S-400s. It’s whether Project Kusha can scale fast enough to replace them; before the next crisis hits.