The safety record of the Su-30 is actually very good, with a fleet strength of over 150 now and 3 accidents in over 12 years of operation.
It is fair to say that the Su-30 has saved the Indian military from a difficult position due to slow or delayed induction of weapons such as tanks (both T-90 and Arjun), artillery (no 155mm guns bought since Bofors for 2 decades), LCA and submarines. Despite this, the Su-30 has ensured that the IAF would be able to maintain air superiority, and what is truly amazing is that we got this beast for a unit cost that is just about the same as a mid-block F-16!