The significance of Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi’s State visit to the United States on invitation of the US President Mr. Joe Biden has been highlighted well in the announcements regarding inking of major pacts in the areas of defence and technology. The pact between GE Aerospace and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to jointly produce F414 fighter jet engines for light combat aircraft Tejas Mk-II, comes as a major boost for the Indian Air Force. Tejas Mk-I and Mk-1A use F404 engine.

 

The joint production of F414 fighter jet engines in India will boost the prospects of Tejas Mk-II. Already, Aeronautical Development Agency under Defence Research and Development Organisation is working on coming up with Tejas Mk-II prototype with GE’s F414 engines by the end of 2024. With the GE-HAL pact, work on rolling out F414 powered Tejas Mk-II by 2027-28 will be on fast track. This will boost the plans of having strong light combat aircraft squadrons, ultimately providing an edge to national security. The fighter jet engines to be produced will be of use for Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft too. This pact also highlights that India is successfully pursuing the path of multilateralism in defence deals. India was buying mostly from Russia and European consortium. In the past few years, India has gained a new confidence and actively welcomed the idea of being friends with different nations at a time and signing deals with them. Besides, India has been focussing on being a partner in production and not just a buyer, and making policies accordingly.

 

With the latest pact, India will gradually have in its inventory light as well as medium combat aircraft powered by the latest engines. This will place the country in a unique position in defence sector in terms of manufacturing and equipment. Another major deal is with the computer storage chip-maker Micron, for setting up its semiconductor assembly and testing plant in Gujarat. The segment in which investment is set to come matters a lot, apart from the size of investment. This deal is in line with India’s vision for future and support the efforts of setting up data centers across the country. Already, India is a recognised source for semiconductor design talent. With attractive policies of the Government of India and the investment plan announced by Micron, India has got a shot in the arm. This will take the blossoming semiconductor ecosystem in the country to next level. The pact has potential to make India silicon hub of the East.