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Destination India for aircraft cos
Published on Fri, Feb 09, 2007 at 08:11, Updated on Wed, Jun 20, 2007 at 07:35 in 
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Yelahanka (Bangalore): Aircraft sellers hope to strike some really big deals at Yelahanka in Bangalore during Aero India show as India's military aircraft market is reportedly worth about $7-10 billion.
Presence of nearly 300 foreign aerospace firms, 45 delegations from abroad and 35 air chiefs at the show prove that India has arrived on the world aviation market.
And every one of them had an interest in Defence Minister A K Antony's cryptic remark that the RFP will be out soon.
The RFP is a request for proposal from the Indian Air Force for 126 multirole jet fighters – an order worth a potential $6-10 billion.
Those figures could balloon if the order increases to 200 jets, as some aerospace analysts are forecasting.
In fact executives of Boeing say the Indian order is the biggest fighter aircraft deal since the 1990s.
Boeing is hoping to sell the fifth generation Super Hornet fighter to India. Each aircraft could cost upwards of $70 million but Boeing is ready to co-produce it.
Lockheed is also in the race with its ageing but combat proven F-16 fighter and is also offering co-production.
Building on a three decade old partnership with India, Russia's MiG Corporation is offering the MiG-35.
Swedish are also in race with the Gripen and the Eurofighter built by the EADS consortium – but there's a larger issue here.
“Aeroplanes by itself are nothing. There are spares, engines, ground equipment, infrastructural issues, there is a whole deal ahead of us," said ACM S P Tyagi.
But a quick and highly symbolic decision is expected on another front.
The real buzz at the show is the impending sale of the American legend the Hercules to the IAF.
If it happens it will be the first American military aircraft to be flown by the IAF since the Packet in the 1960s.
And it will be hugely symbolic of the end of the era of denial.
Some deals struck at the show are:
Missile maker Raytheon and Tatas have struck a technology partnership deal.
Hindustan Aeronautics is being courted by Boeing and Lockheed.
French engine maker Snecma is bidding to co-produce engines for the indigenous light combat aircraft.
The list goes on, indicating that this is one aviation market that the world is opening up to.
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