MOSCOW/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Russia handed over a $2.3 billion aircraft carrier to India on Saturday after years of delays, extending the South Asian country's maritime reach in the Indian Ocean as it looks to counter China's assertive presence in the region. The handover, at a shipyard near the Arctic Circle, underlined close defense ties between Russia, the world's No. 2 arms exporter, and the world's largest arms customer, India. But while India remains Russia's biggest buyer, it has started to look to new military suppliers and aims to build more hardware itself. It has recently rolled out new military purchase rules to lure local private companies into the sector.