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New Delhi, Oct 30: The Italian arms major Finmeccanica is hoping to expand its market in India through the sale of two medium range aircraft for the Border Security Force (BSF) and also supplying small helicopters to various states and paramilitary forces for use in medical emergencies.
The country head of the Italian company Paolo Girasole told FE that the firm is also considering responding to a request for proposal (RFP) from the Indian Navy for the protection of four naval bases in the country.
“We are bidding for BSF requirement of two medium transport aircraft and have pitched our C-27J Spartan. The project which is managed by the Indian Air Force (IAF) is very important for us and if we get this order it will open more avenues for us in the growing Indian market,” Paolo said.
Considering that the government has declared the year 2008 as the year of helicopters in India, the company is in talks with both the state agencies as well as hospitals for selling AW 109 and AW 139 helicopters later this year and early next year, he said.
The AW-109 has dominated the corporate transport market and is increasingly becoming the standard helicopter for law enforcement and air ambulance duties in many countries, the company official added.
The induction of the AW-101 will give Italy a toehold into the burgeoning defence aerospace market.
AgustaWestland’s (a subsidiary of Finmeccanica) NH-90 is a front-runner to supply 16 Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) choppers for the navy, 324 light utility choppers for the air force and army, 13 ATR turbo-prop maritime patrol aircraft to the navy and coast guard
Responding to a question, he expressed hope that the government will raise the FDI limit in the defence sector as that will get in more investment in the sector, which is growing rapidly. “We encourage the government to increase the limit from current 26%. Our company is seeking commercial ventures and are looking at joint ventures both in the IT as well as engineering sector.”
Finmeccanica’s helicopter division, Augusta Westland, was the front-runner in a multi-million contract to supply 12 AW-101 VVIP helicopters worth around Rs 1,400 crore (approx Rs 110 crore each) for use by the President and prime minister, as reported by FE.
The Indian contract to be signed any time soon for the flying offices equipped with advanced communication aids and self-protection devices could well be the greatest Italian export to India since early 1960s. While the IAF will be buying 12 helicopters the US has placed an order for 20 machines.
The entry of the Italians is not incidental. Ever since both India and Italy decided to enhance bilateral co-operation in defence production in 2002 and inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on defence industrial co-operation the following year, defence ties have been growing steadily.
One reason for the Italian connection is the recent policy of diversifying India’s arms suppliers. Almost 70% of the Indian weaponry is of Soviet and Russian origin with the navy almost entirely dependent on Russian weaponry for its warships, submarines and aircraft.
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