India, Sweden sign security pact to share classified information

THE DEFENCE MINISTERS OF THE TWO COUNTRIES SIGNED THE PACT AT A TIME WHEN SWEDEN IS EYEING PROJECTS WORTH BILLIONS OF DOLLARS UNDER THE ‘MAKE IN INDIA’ INITIATIVE

NEW DELHI: India and Sweden have concluded a security protection agreement that will enable both countries to share classified information with each other, the Swedish embassy here said on Thursday.

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her Swedish counterpart Peter Hultqvist signed the pact in Stockholm on Wednesday, at a time when the Scandinavian country is eyeing projects worth billions of dollars under the “Make in India” initiative.

Swedish defence firm Saab is pursuing opportunities to build fighter jets and next-generation submarines in the country under the government’s strategic partnership (SP) model that seeks to provide impetus to the Make in India programme.

Saab India Technologies chairman Ola Rignell on Thursday said the company was eyeing several projects in India, including plans to build 114 fighter planes and six next-generation submarines locally. Both the projects fall under the SP model. The strategic partnership (SP) model envisages local manufacturing of major defence platforms by an Indian strategic partner who will collaborate with a foreign original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to set up production facilities in the country. On January 31, the defence ministry approved Project 75I worth Rs 40,000 crore for building six advanced submarines in the country. The SP model covers submarines, fighter planes, helicopters and armoured vehicles. The ministry is yet to clear “platform-specific” guidelines for 114 fighters under the model. Saab is offering its Gripen E fighter for this competition. Six countries will offer seven fighter jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF) contest.

The manufacturers have responded to an IAF request for information (RFI) with operational features and technical parameters of their platforms.