TERMS FOR INDIA’S FIGHTER PROPOSAL

At Aero India 2017, former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said that whoever bags the next big fighter jet deal will have to set up a facility in India and produce those planes under the proposed strategic partnership model with no exceptions granted. Under this model, India will select private Indian firms to exclusively manufacture military equipment for a specified period. The Indian partner will be identified through terms prescribed by a government committee, while the foreign partner will be chosen on criteria such as transfer of technology and the financial proposal made by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). “What I am saying is what I want — I want it to be ‘Made in India’. Export to third nation is an additional bonus (and) if someone wants to shift the facility from somewhere else or whether he sets up a new one — it is his choice. I am in no way concerned with it,” he added.