Boeing to bid for Indian defence projects

New Delhi: Leading US aircraft manufacturer Boeing is looking to bid for defence projects worth up to $20 billion over the next 10 years in India, a top official said.

The company is also submitting a detailed proposal to the Indian government on August 4 to help build the country's aerospace industry and transfer defence technology to meet government conditions for defence contracts.

"The opportunity the way we look at is tremendous in India in the next few years, in terms of growing industry and partnership," Vivek Lall, India country head of Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) said yesterday.

"I think it is a win-win and I think we can bring the best of Boeing in India and best of India to Boeing," Lall told Reuters.

India is fast becoming one of the world's biggest arms importers. The country is looking to spend $50 billion on imports over the next five years to modernise its largely Soviet-era arms.

Aerospace industry

India is also keen to strengthen its own aerospace industry and has asked major weapon exporting countries to transfer defence technology to India. As a condition of granting defence contracts, India has said 30 per cent of all defence deals valued at over $3 billion have to be reinvested in the country - either through purchase of components from Indian companies or establishing joint ventures to make parts in India.

Boeing has already submitted a bid for a 126 multi-role fighter jet contract, potentially worth more than $10 billion. The company says it is willing to meet India's conditions, such as setting up manufacturing and research programmes.

"They want a technological base here that will lead to indigenous platform for the future and also bring up the manufacturing facilities here...the kind of offset proposals we are looking to provide will address those issues."

Boeing has submitted a proposal to sell P-81 anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare planes, and will decide soon whether to offer its AH-64D Apache aircraft to New Delhi, Lall said.

The company also has plans to sell its CH-47 Chinook helicopter for the Indian army.