French website Mediapart has revealed an agreement was concluded between Dassault and the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group the day before an Indian defence ministry review overturned the selection of the Rafale as the winning bid in the IAF contest for 126 MMRCA fighter aircraft.
With force numbers declining and options like the LCA and the FGFA seem to be falling short, why did successive air chiefs advocate a there-is-no-alternative approach to a non-compliant MMRCA bid?
The delayed approval for the acquisition of the M-777 ULH means that India will have to bear a much higher price because of the weaker rupee.
The Indian defense ministry could now be blacklisting companies because of their association with other companies that have been debarred from doing business due to allegations of malpractice.
A rough guide to India’s biennial land and maritime defense exhibition, DefExpo 2014. You’re welcome.
“There are close to 140 Private Security Companies operating in the North Indian Ocean, which hire out Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel or PCASP,” said navy chief, Admiral DK Joshi, adding, “It has obvious security implications for us, including infiltration of terrorists.”
The Indian defense ministry has till October to take the US government offer for the purchase of 145 light weight howitzers at the price of USD 694 million, after which the increased price of USD 885 million will come into play.
Air Chief Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne told reporters that the aircraft would be able to operate from the country’s northern-most Advanced Landing Ground at Daulat Beg Oldie close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
After Defense Minister AK Antony diverged from the Indian Army’s statement on the killings on Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs also now seems to have mixed up priorities between domestic politics and international pressure.
Reactions from industry pointed out that the general rule remained the same, with investment restricted to 26 percent, subject to approval by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board.
Noting the Indian rupee crash, FICCI’s Secretary General, Dr A. Didar Singh, wrote to Defense Minister AK Antony criticizing the failure of the DPP 2013 to create a ‘level playing field’ for Indian private industry.
The Flag Meeting took place on a day when Indian Defense Minister Arackaparambil Kurien Antony had some tough words for the intruders at the Unified Commanders Conference of the Indian armed forces.
Blacklisting is the politician’s response to cop out of responsibility for ensuring a corruption free defense acquisition process, that serves no purpose for either the Indian armed forces or the taxpayer, and is effectively the application of rules that govern the PWD (Public Works Department).
Here’s a quick narrative of how the alleged AgustaWestland corruption scandal unfolded, with links to the reports filed by the intrepid Manu Pubby of The Indian Express.
The story about the arrest of Giuseppe Orsi, Chairman and CEO of Italian defense and aviation company, Finmeccanica, broke sometime on Tuesday afternoon, a few days less than a year when investigations first began into the company over allegations of corruption in Indian contracts.
