February theme: Aviation securityIndia's Tata Group, U.S. company to manufacture defense equipment
India is worried about China’s growing military might; Indian companies see an opportunity here, and more and more of them are looking to enter the defense market — with U.S. companies as partners; the U.S. government, too, is intensifying its defense cooperation with India
The United States is worried about China’s increasing ability to flex its econonmic and military muscles. India is worried too — and India lives in the neighborhood in which China is trying to become the hegemonic power. This means that there is a growing defense cooperation between India and the United States, and that more and more Indian companies are looking to enter thedfense markets, and they are looking to U.S. companies as partners. The Tata group, Indias largest private sector group with more than ninety-eight companies in various sectors, may look at bringing the products of Hampton, Virginia-basedMicrobotics, an aerospace research and development company, to India, according to an official of U.S.- India Business Alliance. Microbotics focuses on controls, instrumentation and navigation systems and specializes in Global Positioning System and Inertial Navigation System applications. “There was a meeting between Tata and Microbotics officials to discuss opportunities that might exist in India for the U.S. company,” USIBA director Manohar Thyagaraj said. Tata and Microbotics officials met in Mumbai on Monday and are scheduled to meet again in Bangalore on Thursday. According to Thyagaraj, four companies from the the State of Virginia have come here to scout for business opportunities. Officials from Microbotics would also be meeting officials from other defense public sector companies in Bangalore, Thyagaraj said.
U.S. companies with unique technological solutions, such as Microbotics, are exploring the large opportunities that India may have to offer, Thyagaraj said. He also said that the United States is looking at India as a long-term partner for security. A U.S. delegation would head to Bangalore today to meet officials of Biocon and Strides Acrolabs. We note that many Indian private sector companies have entered the area of defense equipment manufacture. Besides Tatas, others include Godrej, Mahindras, and Larsen and Toubro.
