February 2023

Will Ka-226T ever be donning Indian colour?

India’s search for the replacement of its French-made Cheetah and Chetak light Utility helicopters is still pending after two decades. Meandering from Bell to Ka226T, Indian policymakers have failed to fulfill the need to replace Cheetah Helicopter (LAMA SA 315B) and Chetak (Aloutte III) both designed in the 1960s and first inducted in the 1970s in the Indian armed forces. HAL has been manufacturing them since the 1970s. It has an unlimited licence to manufacture them. The two choppers have served India very well but need to be replaced.

Bharat Forge and Rolls-Royce Marine MoU

Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited (KSSL), a 100% subsidiary of Bharat Forge, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Rolls-Royce Marine North America for the development of naval propulsion systems for the Indian market. Under the agreement, KSSL will collaborate with Rolls-Royce for the design and development, licensed manufacturing, pre-sales and sales support, installation, commissioning, testing, and aftermarket services and support of the propulsion systems.

Godrej to make eight modules of DRDO turbojet

Godrej & Boyce, the flagship company of the Godrej Group, has announced that its business Godrej Aerospace is the first Indian private company to win the order for manufacturing eight modules of the DRDO Engine for aerial applications. Godrej Aerospace won the order competing with over 25 companies owing to its strong infrastructure, proficiency in working with unique materials, and decades of experience in producing liquid engines for rockets, as well as its service to global aviation majors.

India - Srilanka Review Bilateral Ties

India and Sri Lanka held their 7th Annual Defence Dialogue in New Delhi on February 23. It was co-chaired by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and his Sri Lankan counterpart General Kamal Gunaratne. During the meeting, the ongoing defence cooperation activities between the two countries were reviewed, with both sides agreeing to increase the complexity of bilateral exercises.

IDEX 2023

Rosoboronexport to propose new cooperation projects

RoE, part of the Rostec State Corporation, will organize a large-scale display of Russia’s leading defense industry enterprises in the country’s pavilion at IDEX 2023, the world’s biggest international defense and security exhibition, to be held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, from February 20 to 24.

AeroIndia'23 - Day 2

Rajnath Singh meets CEOs

Rajnath Singh met the CEOs of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) on the sidelines of 14th Aero India on tuseday. During the interaction, he highlighted that India offers significant advantages of competitive land costs, skilled human capital, a vibrant start-up ecosystem and a huge domestic defence market to the Global Defence industry. He described this as a win-win situation where defence manufacturing companies from across the world can become a part of the Indian growth story.

AeroIndia '23 - Day 1

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 14th edition of Asia’s biggest aero show - Aero India 2023 – at Air Force Station, Yelahanka in Bengaluru on February 13, 2023. A commemorative stamp was also released by the Prime Minister on the occasion. The five-day event, on the theme ‘The runway to a billion opportunities’, will showcase India’s growth in aerospace and defence capabilities. It will display indigenous equipment/technologies and forge partnerships with foreign companies, in line with ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ vision for a secure and prosperous future.