Global Aerospace Firms to Set-up Assembly Line in India

Competition has begun behind the scene among the world’s top aviation firms to convince the Government of India about the superiority of their fighter jets as the Indian Ministry of Defence explores the possibility of setting up an assembly line in India with transfer of technology for the production of combat aircraft. An indication came from Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, Chief of the Air Staff, Indian Air Force (IAF) during media interaction prior to Air Force Day when he said: “The offers are on the table and we will have to see who gives us the best deal.” In the first week of October this year, the government had written to some of the global aerospace majors seeking their views on relocating their assembly lines to India. The exact nature of the communication, however, remains unknown.