Amid India's apparent willingness to pay more for the Russian Gorshkov aircraft carrier, a high-level Indian team is in Moscow to inspect the carrier in a fresh bid to break the deadlock over its delivery.
Defence secretary Vijay Singh is leading a delegation to carry out physical verification of additional refit work needed to be done on the carrier as claimed by Moscow.
The delegation also includes new defence production secretary Pradeep Kumar and senior officials of the Defence (Finance).
The 45,000 tonne displacement carrier was to be delivered by August as per a $1.5 billion contract signed in 2004, but Russia stunned India in November by demanding $1.2 billion more for refitting and other works.
The new condition by Russia meant a delay of up to four years.
After Russia's insistence on upward revision of price for the Gorshkov, the Indian side recently indicated willingness to pay more with a senior official saying, "The original contract was sketchy".
The Russian demand was earlier opposed by the Naval chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta, who publicly said that there should be no revision in the contract.
The Russian side has conveyed that 'extensive' refit work would be necessary on the warship which will now have to undergo sea trials for a year in Russian waters under their experts.
Sea trials would cost crores of rupees to be borne by India, a defence ministry official said recently, making it clear that it would take three to four years for the carrier to be delivered after a nod is given for new refits.
Modification of the contract would require fresh approval of the Cabinet, the official said.
In Moscow, the Indian delegation would be assisted by a Naval experts team headed by Vice Admiral Dilip Deshpande. The team went there in advance and has held a number of rounds of talks with Russians.
The delegation is also likely to take up with Moscow the matters related to the malfunctioning of Klub missiles which are to arm the upgraded Kilo-class submarines.
