India’s dream to develops its defence industry like USA and Russia in action . India allowing its Air Force to buy 200,000 70mm rockets for its helicopters from private defence company like Bharat Forge, Punj Lloyd , Mahindra Defence System, Reliance Defence, Larsen & Toubro, and Tata Group .
To develop the private sector for the first time India has broken the monopoly of state enterprise Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and will permit private defense companies to manufacture rockets for helicopters.
“The rockets are proposed to be developed and manufactured by the Indian industry and the project would be based on proven or matured technologies where fundamental research is not required,” he said.
Currently three Indian defense forces procure rockets from OFB and imports from overseas.
Last week, IAF floated a request for information (RFI) to private defense companies asking to submit their capabilities to manufacture 70mm rockets for all kinds of helicopters, said a senior IAF official in private.
“It is a priority program under the ‘Make in India’ policy and we want home-made 70mm rockets within the next three years,” he said.
At present none of the private defense companies have the capability to build sophisticated rockets on their own and they will need to forge tie-up with overseas defense companies such as Raytheon of US, Rafael of Israel, BAE Systems of UK, Diehl Defense of Germany, Thales of France, Saab of Sweden and Rosobornexport of Russia, said a senior industry lobby executive who requested anonymity.
