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Moving an inch forward in ‘<keyword id="6354869" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="make-in-India">Make in India</keyword>’ initiative in defence production, Gurgaon-based <keyword id="340571" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Sun-Group">Sun Group</keyword> may partner with Russia to make light helicopters. 
 
If everything goes as planned, 200 Kamov Ka 226 light helicopters may replace the ageing Cheetah fleet, which services one of the world’s highest military deployments on the Siachen glacier. 
 
Economic Times reported that work on the Russian deal, by nomination, had begun after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit last year in December and assurances were exchanged at the highest levels to look into this project. 
 The facility may come up in Goa as a feasibility study was conducted to set up a chopper line in the coastal soon after <keyword id="6363133" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Manohar-Parrikar">Manohar Parrikar</keyword>, former Goa CM, took over as defence minister. 
 
If the deal works out, it would be the second major defence project for the state. Parrikar had already announced that the Goa Shipyard was nominated to construct 12 minesweepers for the Indian Navy in a contract that is expected to cost over $1 billion. 
 The financial daily stated that while <keyword id="2852683" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="russian-helicopters">Russian Helicopters</keyword> (RH) is in talks with a handful of possible Indian partners, the lead contender happens to be the Gurgaon-based Sun Group. 
 
As per insiders, the group may get a significant share of the deal, which might cross a whooping amount of $700 million. RH is likely to produce at least 200 choppers in India. 
 However, the company is also planning to involve <keyword id="86569" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Hindustan-Aeronautics-Limited">Hindustan Aeronautics Limited</keyword> (HAL), and partnerships with other private firms are not ruled out. 
 
Vice-Chairman and founder of Sun Group Shiv Vikram Khemka has been a non-executive director on the board of RH since 2011 and has already set up a helicopter division. He is likely to be involved in the ‘Make in India’ project. 
 
While the Sun Group did not respond to a detailed questionnaire sent by ET, company officials said things were at a preliminary stage and it was too early to comment. 
 
But according to sources, Sun Group was also an offset partner for RH in a previous competition to supply light choppers to the army, a process which was cancelled by the government last year. 
 
Defence ministry officials, on the condition of anonymity, told ET that the RH deal had effectively killed any other light helicopter project for the armed forces, including a process that was initiated earlier this year for an Indian-led JV to manufacture a new range of choppers. 
 
(Image: Reuters)

Now Russia will ‘Make in India’ 200 military helicopters

Two buses and at least 22 people went missing after Mumbai-Goa highway bridge collapsed due to swollen Savitri River in Konkan region. 
 
The two Maharashtra state transport buses were carrying 18 passengers, two drivers and two conductors. 
 Maharashtra Chief Minister <keyword id="6355042" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Devendra-Fadnavis">Devendra Fadnavis</keyword> said he was monitoring the situation. 
 
"There were two parallel bridges; one is a new bridge and one constructed during the British era. The old one collapsed,” he said. 
 
“The primary reason seems to be the high pressure caused due to flooding of river Savitri due to heavy rains in catchment of Mahabaleshwar,” said Fadnavis. 
 
Meanwhile, the state administration rushed to the spot for rescue operations and traffic on the highway has been stopped. 
 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Fadnavis today and was briefed about the bridge collapse. 
 
"The PM offered all help in rescue and relief operations," Fadnavis said. 
 
NDRF teams are already activated, he tweeted. 
 
The Coast Guard has deployed a Chetak helicopter to carry out search for people who were swept away from the bridge. 
 
Soon after the incident, Raigad SP Suvez Haque and Collector visited the spot where the bridge once stood. 
 
Darkness had hampered operations, which resumed this morning.

Mumbai-Goa highway bridge collapses; two buses, at least 22 missing

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Two fighter jets landed on and took off from India's new aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, this month.</li><li>The jets that landed on Vikrant may not be the jets that India uses on its carriers in the future.</li></ul>On February 6, the Indian Navy <a href="https://indiannavy.nic.in/content/maiden-landing-lca-navy-and-mig-29k-fighter-aircraft-onboard-ins-vikrant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that fixed-wing aircraft had successfully landed on and taken off from India's first domestically built aircraft carrier, <a href="https://www.naval-technology.com/features/ins-vikrant-a-profile-of-indias-newest-aircraft-carrier/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INS Vikrant</a>.The jets involved were the naval variant of the Indian-made <a href="https://www.hotcars.com/underrated-hal-tejas-elevates-indian-air-force/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tejas</a> fighter, referred to as "LCA Navy" for "Light Combat Aircraft Navy" in the <a href="https://twitter.com/indiannavy/status/1622585639664484352" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcement</a>, followed by a Russian-designed <a href="https://twitter.com/indiannavy/status/1622594390945587201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1622594390945587201%7Ctwgr%5Ef439a694d93f6794ba5cd34d33c25d14cb5d70bf%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aviacionline.com%2F2023%2F02%2Fnaval-tejas-and-mig-29k-tested-aboard-ins-vikrant-indias-new-aircraft-carrier%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MiG-29K</a>. Each jet landed using the carrier's arresting cable and then launched from the carrier's ski-jump ramp.The operations were the latest milestone in New Delhi's "Atmanirbhar Bharat," or "self-reliant India," initiative, which is meant to increase domestic production of military hardware.Adm. R. Hari Kumar, India's Chief of Naval Staff, said in a statement that the operations marked "a momentous step forward towards the realization of our collective vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat" and heralded the integration of the MiG-29K into the carrier's inventory.Vikrant's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-new-chinese-and-indian-aircraft-carriers-compare-2022-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduction</a> and its first jet operations come at an important time for the Indian Navy, which is seeking to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/after-himalayan-clash-india-prepares-navy-to-take-on-china-2021-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increase its strength</a> to counter the growing threat from China.<h2>Indian carriers</h2><div type="image" title="India navy aircraft carrier INS Vikrant Tejas fighter jet" height="559" width="840" msid="98192314" hostid="261"></div>Though Vikrant is India's first domestically built carrier, it is actually <a href="https://pib.gov.in/FeaturesDeatils.aspx?NoteId=151135&amp;ModuleId%20=%202" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the fourth</a> to enter service with the Indian Navy. The first two, INS Vikrant (namesake of the current Vikrant) and INS Viraat, were both former British carriers in service with India from 1961 to 1997 and 1987 to 2017, respectively.The third carrier, <a href="https://www.naval-technology.com/projects/ins-vikramaditya-aircraft-carrier/#:~:text=The%20ship%20also%20employs%20six,to%2045%20days%20at%20sea." target="_blank" rel="noopener">INS Vikramaditya</a>, is a modified Kiev-class carrier India <a href="https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/india-wont-even-think-about-buying-russian-aircraft-carrier-again-196265" target="_blank" rel="noopener">purchased</a> from Russia in 2004. Commissioned in 2013, Vikramaditya brought with it the <a href="https://www.naval-technology.com/projects/mig-29k-carrier-based-multirole-fighter-aircraft/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MiG-29K</a>, the carrier version of the famed MiG-29 fighter jet. The Indian Navy previously used the venerable <a href="http://www.military-today.com/aircraft/bae_sea_harrier.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sea Harrier</a>.At about 930 feet long, Vikramaditya displaces about 44,000 tons and can carry 36 aircraft, mainly MiG-29Ks and a combination of <a href="http://www.military-today.com/helicopters/kamov_ka31.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ka-31</a>, <a href="https://weaponsystems.net/system/1288-Kamov%20Ka-27PL" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ka-28</a>, and <a href="http://www.military-today.com/helicopters/dhruv.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HAL Dhruv</a> helicopters. It has a crew of 1,600, a top speed of 28 knots, and a range of about 7,000 nautical miles.Vikrant, meanwhile, measures about 860 feet in length, displaces around 43,000 tons, and can carry 30 aircraft. It has a crew of 1,500, a top speed of 28 knots, and a range of 7,500 nautical miles.<div type="image" title="India navy aircraft carrier INS Vikrant MiG-29K fighter jet" height="559" width="840" msid="98192315" hostid="261"></div>Both carriers use a short takeoff but arrested recovery, or STOBAR, system that launches aircraft off a ski-jump ramp rather than from deck-mounted catapults.INS Vikrant is expected to be ready for operations by the end of this year and INS Vikramaditya is expected to return this spring after an extensive 15-month refit. The newer carrier <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/aircraft-carrier-ins-vikramaditya-is-back-on-high-seas-101676775908275.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">will reportedly</a> be based on India's East Coast and the older carrier on the West Coast.India's carriers have been extremely valuable for projecting power in the Indian Ocean, where New Delhi has long regarded itself as the most influential actor.Vikrant aided the annexation of Goa from Portugal in 1961 by deterring foreign intervention and was vital to the naval blockade of Bangladesh (then called East Pakistan) during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War. Viraat supported India's peacekeeping efforts in Sri Lanka and <a href="https://www.asianage.com/india/all-india/041219/operation-talwar-how-the-navy-silently-contributed-to-kargil-win.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">threatened to blockade</a> Pakistan during the 1999 Kargil War.<div type="image" title="INS Vikramaditya" height="826" width="1240" msid="98192319" hostid="261"></div>In recent years, Indian concerns have focused on China's increasing presence and activity in the Indian Ocean. China has deployed surface ships to conduct anti-piracy <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-navy-growth-and-search-for-overseas-bases-worries-us-2022-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">patrols off the Horn of Africa</a> since 2008, and a Chinese submarine visit to Sri Lanka in 2014 <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-china-border-clashes-could-cause-more-indian-ocean-activity-2020-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raised alarm in India</a>.Since then, Beijing has set up <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-chinese-troops-coexist-and-cooperate-in-djibouti-general-says-2022-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a naval base in Djibouti</a> and pursued port projects — which are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-military-worried-about-chinese-activity-near-maritime-chokepoints-2022-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seen as avenues to advance</a> Chinese economic, diplomatic, and potentially military influence — around the region, including a 99-year lease in Hambantota, a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/indias-concern-with-beijing-expansion-grows-with-sri-lanka-port-deal-2017-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strategically located port</a> in southern Sri Lanka where India has <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/chinese-military-survey-ship-docks-sri-lanka-port-2022-08-16/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">longstanding concern</a> about Chinese military activity. A <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/chinese-military-survey-ship-docks-sri-lanka-port-2022-08-16/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">port call</a> in Hambantota last year by a Chinese tracking vessel raised alarm in India about spying missions off its coasts.By adding carriers — Indian officials are already <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/indian-navy-plans-for-another-vikrant-size-carrier-before-vikramaditya-retires/article66529445.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">considering</a> buying another Vikrant-size carrier — India's navy can keep them at sea off of both its coasts and around the region in order to monitor activity and potential threats from China's navy, the largest in the world.More carriers would also help India maintain its naval advantage over its longtime rival, Pakistan.<h2>Indian jets</h2><div type="image" title="India navy aircraft carrier INS Vikrant Tejas fighter jet" height="364" width="840" msid="98192320" hostid="261"></div>Though the Tejas and MiG-29K are the first jets India has operated on Vikrant's deck, they are not jets that India plans to use in the carrier's air wing in the future.In 2016, the Indian Navy <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/navy-rejects-tejas-says-overweight-fighter-does-not-meet-its-requirements/articleshow/55756350.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rejected</a> the naval variant of the Tejas because its single-engine design gives it a low thrust-to-weight ratio, making it unable to launch from a STOBAR carrier with a full load of fuel and weapons. The jet is only being used as a technology demonstrator to inform future operations and development.The MiG-29K, meanwhile, has been <a href="https://www.defensenews.com/land/2017/08/04/indian-navy-wants-russian-mig-29k-jets-to-be-ruggedized/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a headache</a> for India. At least five of the 45 jets it has purchased have <a href="https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/indian-navy-reports-crash-of-fifth-mig-29k-in-four-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crashed</a> in the last four years. A 2016 <a href="https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/nation/mig-29k-has-engine-failure-airframe-issues-cag-report-271853" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> by the Indian government said 40 of the 65 MiG-29K engines delivered to India had been withdrawn from service or rejected because of defects and deficiencies.<div type="image" title="Indian navy MiG-29 fighter jet aircraft carrier INS Vikrant" height="1331" width="2000" msid="98192322" hostid="261"></div>Like the rest of India's military, the Navy is dependent on Russia for major maintenance and support, including Russian technicians and spare parts, which may soon <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-technology-business-india-europe-8c2974119783b455f68fdcca6a7b474f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">be in much shorter supply</a> given the toll the war in Ukraine <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/07/21/ukraine-russia-arms-business-weapons-exports-africa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has taken on Russia's defense industry</a>.That reliance is exactly what Atmanirbhar Bharat aims to undo. Although the LCA Navy was rejected, India still has plans for a domestically produced carrier-based fighter. That jet, the Twin-Engine Deck Based Fighter, or TEDBF, is <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/twin-engine-carrier-based-fighter-for-navy-could-be-inducted-by-2031-32/article66124792.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in the early stages</a> of development and is intended to replace India's MiG-29Ks around 2031.India is also looking to acquire 26 new carrier-borne aircraft from another country to use until the TEDBF arrives. The search narrowed to two models: the French-made Dassault Rafale M and the US-made Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet.India's air force already operates the Rafale, leading to <a href="https://www.aviacionline.com/2023/01/india-rafale-m-beat-out-super-hornet-as-the-navys-favorite-for-carrier-operations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> that the Rafale M will edge out the Super Hornet.

A first-of-its-kind fighter jet landing shows India's big ambitions for its growing aircraft carrier fleet

<ul><li>The 33-year-old <keyword id="2965693" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="kanika-tekriwal" source="Orion">Kanika Tekriwal</keyword> earned her a fortune of ₹420 crore and was named as the <keyword id="14687474" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="youngest-self-made-richest-woman" source="Orion">youngest self-made richest woman</keyword> in the Kotak Hurun report list.</li><li>Initially, she too went through the rigours of starting a business as a woman.</li><li><keyword id="69127" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tekriwal" source="Orion">Tekriwal</keyword> hails from an orthodox Marwari family where girls are often discouraged from working.</li></ul>Kanika Tekriwal from Bhopal has come a long way from being mistaken for a cabin crew to becoming one of <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>’s richest female startup entrepreneurs. Her idea of offering a cloud-based solution for those who want to ‘hire’ private jets, <keyword id="2963934" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="jetsetgo" source="Orion">JetSetGo</keyword> is now considered a million dollar idea. The company which is popularly known as the ‘Uber of Indian skies’ earned her a fortune of ₹420 crore, as per the Kotak Private Banking Hurun Leading Wealthy Women 2021 list. The 33-year-old is also the youngest in the list, with i-banker turned entrepreneur <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/nykaas-falguni-nayar-takes-over-kiran-mazum[%E2%80%A6]e-richest-self-made-indian-woman/articleshow/93158649.cms">Falguni Nayyar</a> on the top. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="‘Miss, can you ask them for tea/coffee?’" comment="subhead" text="‘Miss, can you ask them for tea/coffee?’">‘Miss, can you ask them for tea/coffee?’</cmsannotation> Today, she is also noted amongst startup founders who made it in a male dominated world. Her online air charter service is hailed by celebrities, film stars and HNIs not just for private jets but also for helicopters and air ambulances. Initially, she too went through the rigours of starting a business as a woman. “I remember walking into a customer’s office to whom we went to pitch, I had just started my company and I was the last person to walk into the conference room. A guy turned to me and said, Miss, can you ask everyone what they want tea or coffee? and all my confidence fell on the floor immediately as I was very young. It was my first pitch ever and I wanted to cry,” Tekriwal told Business Insider India in an interview. In the earlier days of the business, when she used to hang out at airports, she was frequently mistaken for the cabin crew. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The Marwari girl ‘discouraged to work’" comment="subhead" text="The Marwari girl ‘discouraged to work’">The Marwari girl ‘discouraged to work’</cmsannotation> Tekriwal hails from an orthodox Marwari family where girls are often discouraged from working. However, she always wanted to become a pilot, and that along with her time in the UK inspired her to start her own business. The idea to start her company, JetSetGo, came from the thought of private flying as more accessible and economical for people. Before her startup, it was a long, cumbersome process where people lost money and faced many hiccups. Her company, however, turned this process online, transparent and allowed people to ‘share’ rides. “The idea came out of the combination of prior experiences and learning where I saw what was happening in the UK and in India, and there is a big gap that needs to be fulfilled and I went about it,” Tekriwal said. The first roadblock to doing business in the air was registration. “When I wanted to register the company, the people in the registrar office didn’t want to give me the certificate of incorporation simply because it had the word ‘aviation’ in it and asked me to go and get DGCA approval. Why would DGCA give me an approval for a company? I wanted to do trading,” she highlighted. Then came another difficult period in her young life when she was diagnosed with cancer. “I had the idea brewing in my head for close to three years or so, but when I took out my sketch board and started working on it, I was diagnosed with cancer, which set me back by a year,” said Tekriwal. After she became cancer-free in 2012, she kickstarted the business with her friend, <keyword id="2963933" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sudheer-perla" source="Orion">Sudheer Perla</keyword>, starting with air taxi services that provide intra-city connectivity. After ten years, she owns ten private jets after seven last year. She plans to add at least eight more aircrafts in the next three years. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Lockdown and beyond" comment="subhead" text="Lockdown and beyond">Lockdown and beyond</cmsannotation> The company also overcame tough times during the three months of the first lockdown. But it decided not to lay off staff or cut down salaries. “I used to actually wake up sweating on most days wondering till when we will be able to sustain this,” Tekriwal added. However, now that’s in the past, the aviation sector has become one of the busiest in the last few months, thanks to years of pent up demand. During the time, the company added another interesting set of jet-setting travellers – startup founder, says Tekriwal, who was amazed at the trend. Also, those who want to splurge on a private jet for leisure trips too has doubled since January 2020. “When the Maldives opened in December last year, everyone was running there on private jets. Now it's Dubai. In India, Goa, Rajasthan, and Kerala are the top leisure destinations,” she added. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/all-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-langya-henipavirus-reported-in-china/articleshow/93480292.cms">All you need to know about the new Langya Henipavirus reported in China</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/most-luxury-home-sales-came-from-mumbai-and-its-suburb-thane-leads-in-affordable-homes/articleshow/93479211.cms">Most luxury home sales came from Mumbai, and its suburb Thane leads in affordable homes</a>

A startup founder was asked to do a coffee run on her first pitch, now she's among India's richest women

New Delhi, Dec 5 () The defence ministry on Thursday said it has signed more than 180 contracts worth over Rs 1.96 lakh crore with the Indian industry since 2014.
 In a statement, the ministry also released some details of a number of major defence contracts signed in the last five years.
 The statement by the ministry came in the wake of criticism that 'Make in India' in defence sector has not been successful as envisaged by the government.
 The ministry said a contract worth Rs 45,000 crore was signed in 2015 with Mazagon Dockyards Limited (MDL) to manufacture frigates for the Indian Navy under Project P-17A.
 Another project to build two frigates at a cost of Rs 14,100 crore was finalised with Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) in October 2018.
 It said contracts for manufacture of 41 advanced light helicopters (ALH) for Indian Air Force and 32 ALH for Indian Navy have been signed with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in 2017 at a combined value of Rs 14,100 crore.
 "This is in addition to procurement of 14 Dornier 228 aircraft from HAL at a cost Rs 1,100 crore under a contract signed in February 2015," the ministry said.
 It said seven squadrons of Akash Missile system are being procured from Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) at a cost of Rs 6,300 crore. Separately, an Integrated Advanced Command and Control System is being procured under a Rs 7,900-crore contract.
 The ministry said the Ordnance Factory Board has been tasked with supplying 464 T-90S/SK tanks worth Rs 19,100 crore for which indent has been placed last month.
 "Also 100 155x52mm calibre self-propelled guns are being procured under the 'Make in India' initiative from Ms/ L&amp;T at a cost of Rs 4,300 crore," the ministry said.
 It said the three services have also placed a number of contracts with the private sector vendors.
 The ministry said 44 projects have been given approval.
 It said the process to acquire 114 fighter jets for the IAF and to procure a batch of naval utility helicopter is moving forward. MPB SMN

Defence Ministry says it signed contracts worth Rs 1.96 lakh crore with Indian firms since 2014

<keyword id="6358826" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Russia">Russia</keyword> has accepted to help India and agreed to lease a second nuclear attack submarine worth $2 billion, during the Russia and India summit. Other major defence deals were also signed during this summit. 
 The agreement wasn’t made public but was signed during the <keyword id="175259" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Brics">BRICS</keyword> summit that happened in Goa. Other major defence deals that happened during the summit were the S-400 Triumf air defence systems, the joint venture of Kamov helicopters and frigates, worth billions of dollars. 
 According to a report written by <keyword id="3763743" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Alexei-Nikolski">Alexei Nikolski</keyword>, a columnist with a Russian daily Vedomosti, a person in Russian defence ministry has confirmed the deal. 
 "According to a person in the Russian defence ministry, the long discussed lease to transfer a multipurpose Project 971 nuclear submarine to India from the <keyword id="46942" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Russian-Navy">Russian Navy</keyword> was signed in Goa,” the report said. 
 Earlier, India has received a similar kind of submarine- Project 971 also known as Akula-II, on lease from Russia. Indian <keyword id="42407" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Navy">Navy</keyword> is operating this AkulaII class submarine and it is called INS Chakra. 
(image:Indiatimes)

Russia to lease $2 billion worth nuclear attack submarine to India

Since the launch of ‘<keyword id="6354869" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="make-in-India">Make in India</keyword>’ program, considerable thrust has been given to <keyword id="2377476" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="defence-manufacturing">defence manufacturing</keyword>. Transformation from being one of the largest importers of arms into a credible defence equipment manufacturer takes a lot. 
 
Country’s defence spending is expected to go beyond USD 600 billion by 2022 and every private company indulged into defence manufacturing wants a pie of that, especially when USD 150 billion of contracts are there to be awarded within a few years. 
 
Current scenario of Imports: 
 
 
 
 
Some of the Indian Companies in Defence Sector: 
· Mazagon Dock Ltd 
· Mishra Dhatu Nigam Ltd 
· Mahindra Defence Systems with Bae Systems &amp; Seabird Aviation (Private Player) 
· Rolta ( A Private Player) 
· Tata Advanced Systems with Boeing,Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation &amp; Israeli Aerospace Industries 
· Ashok Leyland ( Private Player) 
· Bharat Dynamics Ltd 
· Bharat Earth Movers Ltd 
· Bharat Electronics Ltd ( BEL) 
· Bharat Forge 
· Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL) 
· Garden Reach Shipbuilders &amp; Engineers Ltd 
· Goa Shipyard Ltd 
· HCL with Boeing &amp; Circore Aerospace Inc (Private Player) 
· Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd ( HAL) 
· Reliance Defence 
 
Defence Manufacturing, Exports and its future: 
 
Indian exports are negligible when it comes to the total market share on a global level. India has exported defence equipment to 22 countries over last one year, including UK, US, Israel and Russia. India exported forging equipment, electronic assemblies, flight panel controls to the US. 
 
India exported transmitting tubes to UK and MIG &amp; Sukhoi 30 aircraft spares and services to Russia. India’s major exports included Cheetal helicopters to Afghanistan, Dhruv helicopters and bulletproof jackets to Nepal, Sukhoi avionics and MIG spares to Malaysia, offshore petrol vessels and ammunition to Mauritius and Jaguar aircrafts and spares to Oman. 
 
Indian private players are looking for foreign partners as the foreign direct investment in defence sector is pushed up to 49%. Reliance defence had signed a manufacturing and maintenance deal potentially worth $6 billion with Russia's Almaz-Antey, the maker of an air defence system. Apart from the Akash air defence system, the government had cleared the purchase of five S-400 air defence systems that are estimated to cost about $4.5 billion. 
 
Similarly kalyani group tied up with Rafael of Israel to make Spike Anti-tank missiles for the Indian military. 
 
Indian private players are still far away from accessing the key sensitive technologies related to fighter aircrafts and nuclear submarines however they are approaching fast by the virtue of transfer of technology and domestic manufacturing set-up under the make in India program. What must is to invest heavily in R&amp;D facilities along with the collaboration of key government institutions like DRDO with the private partners. Incoming demands for defence equipment is heavy and it should only be fulfilled by boosting the manufacturing process along with minimum government interference and a feasible policy framework. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

Defence Manufacturing: Is India Inc. ready?

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/Dinuka LiyanawatteSri Lankan soldiers during a rehearsal for Sri Lanka's 69th Independence Day celebrations in Colombo, February 2, 2017.</div></div></div><ul><li>India is watching warily as China tries to build ties with countries throughout South Asia.</li><li>Beijing's latest gesture is gifting a naval frigate to Sri Lanka.</li><li>These maneuvers come as India and China compete for influence throughout the region.</li></ul>China wants to deepen military ties with Sri Lanka through training and the gift of a navy frigate, a Chinese official said this week, outlining the latest front in a battle for influence between <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-powerful-militaries-in-the-world-ranked-2018-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Asia's two most powerful countries</a>.Senior Colonel Xu Jianwei, an official at the Chinese Embassy in Colombo, <a href="http://colombogazette.com/2018/07/23/china-to-boost-military-ties-with-sri-lanka-and-gift-frigate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Beijing this year will continue offering training courses for the Sri Lankan military and will finish work on a Chinese-funded auditorium at the smaller country's military academy. Preparations will also be made to give a frigate to the Sri Lankan navy as a gift."As a good and true friend, over the past decades, China has provided powerful support to the social-economic development and military and <keyword id="6354810" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="defense">defense</keyword> construction of Sri Lanka," Xu <a href="http://colombogazette.com/2018/07/23/china-to-boost-military-ties-with-sri-lanka-and-gift-frigate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>."In the past few years, two militaries have witnessed the deepening communication and cooperation in the areas of personnel training, joint training, maritime security, etc.," he added.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Navy Office of Legislative AffairsA Chinese Type 054A frigate.</div></div></div>Xu, speaking at an event to mark the 91st anniversary of the founding of China's People's Liberation Army, did not offer any details about the frigate, but it's the latest exchange in Beijing and Colombo's tight military relationship."It was China's assistance to the Rajapaksa government during their military offensive against the Tamil Tigers in the late 2000s that opened the door to a major expansion of Chinese investments and influence in the country," said Jeff Smith, a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, where he focuses on South Asia.That assistance came after the US <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/how-beijing-won-sri-lankas-civil-war-1980492.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ended direct military</a> aid over Sri Lanka's poor human-rights record, and it arrived in the form of political cover at the UN and of sophisticated military hardware, like six F7 fighter jets.President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in office between 2005 and 2015, nutured ties with China, including a 2013 deal that saw Beijing provide <a href="http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/china-to-train-sri-lankan-army-to-provide-military-technology/1123290/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$2.2 billion</a> in funding and defense technology and military training.Rajapaksa was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/25/world/asia/china-sri-lanka-port.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized for debts</a> his government took on from China, which also reportedly funded his most recent campaign, which he lost to current President Maithripala Sirisena.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/Dinuka LiyanawatteSri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) members perform at a rescue demonstration in Kalutara, Sri Lanka, February 27, 2018.</div></div></div>Upon taking office, Sirisena <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/r-chinas-xi-offers-fresh-295-million-grant-to-sri-lanka-in-push-for-dominance-2018-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suspended</a> most of the Chinese-backed projects started by his predecessor. But his government remains heavily indebted to Beijing, and he has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/r-chinas-xi-offers-fresh-295-million-grant-to-sri-lanka-in-push-for-dominance-2018-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allowed</a> some projects to resume and continued making <a href="http://colombogazette.com/2016/12/03/sri-lanka-to-buy-more-military-transport-planes-from-china/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deals</a> for military equipment.That China would now offer up a frigate as a gift isn't really surprising, Smith said."Gifting a frigate to Sri Lanka can be seen as yet another attempt to curry favor with the government and military," he said, pointing to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/r-chinas-xi-offers-fresh-295-million-grant-to-sri-lanka-in-push-for-dominance-2018-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the $295 million</a> Beijing recently "gifted" to Sirisena "to use on a project of his choosing, even as [China] continues to enjoy close ties to the opposition, which is eyeing a political comeback.""It's fairly standard practice in the region," Smith said. "India frequently gifts used military hardware to neighboring countries."India has given Mi-25 attack helicopters <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/mi-25-attack-helicopter-gifted-by-india-to-afghanistan-reaches-kabul-3-more-to-follow/articleshow/50275035.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to Afghanistan</a> and patrol boats to its smaller neighbors. This sping, New Delhi reportedly caught its <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/defence/india-will-gift-obsolete-military-equipment-to-friendly-countries/1143098/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">military by surprise</a> with a request for a list of obsolete equipment that could be refurbished cheaply and given to "friendly" countries.China's presence in Sri Lanka has become more of a concern for India. Sri Lanka allowed a Chinese submarine to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/sri-lanka-china-submarine/chinese-submarine-docks-in-sri-lanka-despite-indian-concerns-idINKBN0IM0LU20141102" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dock in Colombo</a> in 2014 despite New Delhi's concern. In May 2017, during a visit by India Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sri Lanka said it had <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/2094093/sri-lanka-refuses-port-call-chinese-submarine-after-indian" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rejected</a> another request for Chinese sub to visit.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Christopher Woody/Google Maps</div></div></div>Straining to repay debts incurred by Rajapaksa's government, Sri Lanka decided in late 2017 to grant China control of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/indias-concern-with-beijing-expansion-grows-with-sri-lanka-port-deal-2017-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strategically valuable port of Hambantota</a> for 99 years. That concession stoked concern in New Delhi that China would expand its military presence there.The current Sri Lankan government has said it won't allow a larger Chinese military presence there, as it is "cognizant of the furor it sparked in Delhi when Chinese submarines first surfaced in Colombo in 2014," Smith said."It's possible that calculation could change if the more China-friendly Rajapaksas return to power in elections next year," he added, "but even they will be cautious about the backlash it could trigger in India and beyond."In June, Sri Lanka announced that <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2153246/sri-lanka-base-navys-southern-command-chinese-run" target="_blank" rel="noopener">it would move</a> its southern naval command to Hambantota, though Colombo again stressed that it would not allow Beijing to use the port for military purposes.<h2>'A tectonic shift'</h2>India's security focus has undergone "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-to-buy-submarines-amid-china-naval-activity-in-the-indian-ocean-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a tectonic shift</a>" toward its southern approaches in recent years, but its northern frontier, much of which is shared with China, remains a point of contention.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">AP Photo/Manish SwarupIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the BRICS summit in Goa, India, October 16, 2016.</div></div></div>The two countries were locked in months-long standoff in summer 2017 over a small chunk of territory in the eastern Himalayas, where China <a href="https://thewire.in/diplomacy/china-bhutan-belt-and-road-initiative-doklam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> India of violating the sovereignty of Bhutan. Amid that showdown, Chinese and Indian troops also came to blows in the western Himalayas, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-of-chinese-indian-troops-fighting-with-stones-at-himalaya-border-2017-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pelting each other with stones and rifle butts</a>.Heads have cooled since that standoff, and both sides have pulled troops from the border. But China signaled again this month that it's looking to gain an edge over India with neighbors like Bhutan, which China has been courting for some time.During a three-day trip to the small landlocked country - the first by a senior Chinese official since the border standoff - Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/r-china-seeks-bhutan-border-cooperation-after-india-spat-2018-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Beijing held their friendship in high regard and that China <a href="https://thewire.in/diplomacy/china-bhutan-belt-and-road-initiative-doklam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">respected</a> Bhutan's "independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity."The gift to Sri Lanka and the kind words in Bhutan "both serve to reinforce the broad trend of China attempting (mostly successfully) to expand its influence and presence in South Asia and the Indian Ocean," Smith said. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-the-yuan-not-euro-could-become-global-currency-dollar-china-usa-eu-dharshini-david-2018-4">Why China's Yuan, not the Euro, could become the dominant global currency</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

China is giving away a warship, and it's the latest sign of the growing rivalry between Asia's 2 most powerful militaries

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">AP Photo/Manish SwarupIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit in Goa, India, October 16, 2016.</div></div></div><ul><li>Indian and Chinese troops squared off high in the Himalayas during a 73-day standoff in summer 2017.</li><li>That border dispute never came to open blows, and the two countries have both tried to mend ties since.</li><li>But the border is still disputed, and both sides are still watching each other warily in an area that could easily flare up again.</li></ul>At the end of August 2017, Indian and Chinese troops backed away from a 73-day standoff high in the eastern Himalayas, where their borders meet those of Bhutan.The two countries, both nuclear-armed and among the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-powerful-militaries-in-the-world-ranked-2018-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most powerful militaries</a> on the planet, have tried to mend ties since then, but the rivalry remains, and the small swath of land they nearly came to blows over last summer remains a flash point.The spat between began in mid-June, when Bhutan <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/26/world/asia/dolam-plateau-china-india-bhutan.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noticed</a> Chinese personnel trying to extend an unpaved road on the Doklam Plateau, which China calls Donglang, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-and-india-and-doklam-2017-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a mountainous area</a> reaching as high as 14,000 feet.China <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/26/world/asia/dolam-plateau-china-india-bhutan.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the construction was an internal affair, as it took place on its own territory, but Bhutan alerted India, which sent troops to halt the work.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">ReutersA map of Donglang, or Doklam, a disputed area between China, India, and Bhutan.</div></div></div>While India <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/28/world/asia/china-india-standoff-withdrawal.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">does not claim</a> the disputed territory, a 34-square-mile chunk of the plateau, it sees it as a buffer zone for a narrow strip of land called the "chicken neck," a valuable link between its northeast and the rest of the country.Chinese and Indian troops squared off just a few hundred feet apart.A few hundred troops from each side were believed to be arrayed around the construction site. About <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-and-india-and-doklam-2017-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3,000 troops</a> from each country were thought to be in the general area around Doklam. Other military units were thought to be in the area, though exact numbers were not clear, especially for Chinese forces.India said it was <a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2103881/dispatch-doklam-indians-dig-long-haul-standoff-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acting on behalf</a> of its ally, Bhutan, which does not have formal ties with China, but the showdown reminded many of the 1962 Sino-Indian war, which started over a border dispute."China has been active in trying to build roads and infrastructure in this strip of territory disputed by Bhutan and China, but what happened last year was they tried to extend a road they had built further south," said Jeff Smith, a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation's Asian Studies Center.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">REUTERS/Desmond BoylanChinese and Indian border guards at the Nathu La mountain pass, between Tibet and the tiny northeastern Indian state of Sikkim, July 6, 2006.</div></div></div>"That prompted the Indian military to intervene, because it was starting to draw the Chinese down further south, into territory they claimed but even closer to an area that would give them a strategic advantage in any sort of conflict," Smith said.That position would "give them the high ground in an area near the ... Bhutan-India-China border," Smith added. "And India sort of drew a red line and said 'no.'"The standoff intensified day by day. Beijing carried out military exercises in Tibet shortly after it began. Indian troops reinforced their positions, <a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2103881/dispatch-doklam-indians-dig-long-haul-standoff-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> building bunkers, bringing in artillery and light tanks, and laying land mines to counter a potential Chinese attack.But both sides <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/28/world/asia/china-india-standoff-withdrawal.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">had reason</a> to seek a way out of the standoff at Doklam. Talks continued, and the confrontation ended on August 28, 2017, when New Delhi and Beijing agreed to an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/r-india-and-china-agree-to-disengagement-along-disputed-frontier-indian-government-statement-2017-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"expeditious disengagement"</a> of their forces.A few weeks after the disengagement, Chinese President Xi Jinping <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/r-chinas-xi-wants-to-put-relations-with-india-on-right-track-xinhua-2017-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he wanted to put his country's relationship with India on the "right track." In early 2018, India appeared to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/r-dalai-lama-faces-cold-shoulder-as-india-looks-to-improve-china-ties-2018-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">distance itself</a> from the Dalai Lama, seeking more <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-Relations/India-uses-rumor-of-Dalai-Lama-s-ill-health-to-mend-China-ties" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conciliatory</a> ties with China.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">AP/ Anupam NathAn Indian girl with an Indian flag at the Indo-China border in Bumla, 15,700 feet above sea level in Arunachal Pradesh, India, October 21, 2012.</div></div></div>This summer, India and China agreed to <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/wuhan-effect-india-china-to-jointly-train-afghan-diplomats/articleshow/65003167.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">jointly train</a> Afghan diplomats, and Delhi said it would not <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/india-says-wont-gang-up-against-china-in-indo-pacific-1882875" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seek to align</a> against Beijing elsewhere. This month, Chinese <keyword id="6354810" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="defense">Defense</keyword> Minister Wei Fenghe is in India, where <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/r-china-defense-minister-meets-indian-pm-as-ties-warm-further-2018-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he praised</a> their relations as a friendship dating to ancient times.But activity has also continued in Doklam."The two sides disengaged from the site of the standoff, but they did not withdraw, and there are still a large number of Chinese and Indian troops near the standoff site," said Smith, author of "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cold-Peace-China-India-Rivalry-Twenty-First/dp/1498520928" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cold Peace</a>," about the rivalry between China and India in the 21st century."China has continued construction on what it claims is its side of the China-Bhutan border," he added, "but it continues construction in territory ... disputed between China and Bhutan but not south of where India has drawn as a red line."Both sides appear to have bolstered the forces they have stationed around Doklam.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">US Air Force/Wikimedia CommonsA member of the Indian air force marshals in a Sukhoi Su-30 MKI on the flight line at Lajes airfield in the Azores, July 13, 2008.</div></div></div>Imagery <a href="https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/preparing-rematch-top-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reviewed earlier this year</a> by intelligence firm Stratfor showed that in late 2017 and early 2018, India greatly increased its deployment of Su-30MKI combat aircraft to the Siliguri Bagdogra and Hasimara airbases.The Su-30MKI is India's top-of-the-line fighter and is <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/india-successfully-test-fires-brahmos-from-sukhoi-30-fighter-aircraft/articleshow/61751675.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">able to fire</a> the supersonic BrahMos cruise missile.Even more activity was visible around the more advanced facilities at the Chinese airbases in Lhasa and Shigatse, including airfield upgrades and a large presence of helicopters, early-warning and command aircraft, parts of the HQ-9 long-range surface-to-air missile, and unmanned aerial vehicles. (China puts <a href="https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/preparing-rematch-top-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more assets</a> at these bases because, unlike India, it does not have facilities closer to the border area.)Doklam "does remain a potential flare-up spot," Smith said, with the Chinese in particular looking for an edge.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Google MapsDeployments and activity at Chinese and Indian airbases around the Doklam Plateau increased in late 2017 and early 2018.</div></div></div>"I imagine the Chinese are not pleased with how events unfolded last year, and there are some who felt like they were somewhat embarrassed by India," Smith said. "So I'm sure they're redoubling their efforts down there to ensure that something like that doesn't happen again."A lack of clear short-term gains to be had make it unlikely China "will push the envelope in Doklam," he added, but Beijing may be preparing its forces in order to be "in a much better position tactically" in case of another confrontation there."It's peaceful now, but it's still volatile," Smith said. "There are still a lot of troops on both sides, nearby, watching each other very closely." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/asia-earth-ice-melted-rising-ocean-coastline-china-india-2015-3">Animated map shows what would happen to Asia if all the Earth's ice melted</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Tensions are still simmering a year after the world's 2 biggest countries almost clashed over a border at the top of the world

AP Photo/Manish Swarup Indian Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> with Chinese President <keyword id="191809" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Xi-Jinping">Xi Jinping</keyword> in Goa, <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>, October 16, 2016. <ul class="summary-list"><li>A year after a showdown along their disputed border, India and <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="China">China</keyword> have improved their relationship.</li><li>Despite that renewed cooperation, the strategic issues driving the tension between them are unresolved.</li><li>Persistent issues, along with other moves both sides are making, increase the chances of a future clash.</li></ul>At the end of August 2017, India and China backed away from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tensions-between-china-and-india-continue-year-after-doklam-standoff-2018-8" target="_blank">a 73-day standoff</a> on the Doklam Plateau, high in the eastern Himalayas. In the year since, both sides have sought to mend ties, especially after a summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in the eastern Chinese city of Wuhan in April. The two countries are engaged in a kind of "recalibration" of their relationship, even though deeper-rooted issues that divide them persist, according to Faisel Pervaiz, a South Asia analyst at geopolitical-intelligence firm Stratfor. REUTERS/Desmond Boylan Chinese and Indian border guards at the Nathu La mountain pass, between Tibet and the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim, July 6, 2006. The appointment of Vijay Gokhale, who was ambassador to China during the Doklam crisis and helped resolve the dispute, to foreign secretary was "an indication that India wants to take ... a less confrontational posture," Pervaiz said. China, too, has come to believe it needs "a bit more calm" with its neighbors, including India, in part because of contentious relations with the US, Pervaiz added, though he stressed that Beijing's change in thinking was likely temporary. China has also made overtures to India about a potential partnership in trade disputes with the US. This week, <keyword id="6358777" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="New-Delhi">New Delhi</keyword> and Beijing <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/r-india-china-launch-joint-training-for-afghanistan-plan-more-projects-2018-10" target="_blank">launched</a> a joint program to train Afghan diplomats, and China's ambassador to the country <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/r-india-china-launch-joint-training-for-afghanistan-plan-more-projects-2018-10" target="_blank">predicted</a> more cooperation there in the future. Next week, they are to sign a <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/indias-participation-in-global-counterterror-front-high-on-rajnath-singhs-china-visit/article7895845.ece" target="_blank">long-discussed</a> internal-security agreement <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/in-a-first-india-china-to-sign-internal-security-agreement-next-week-1933038" target="_blank">expected to cover</a> cooperation on intelligence sharing, disaster mitigation, and other issues. Despite the apparent rapprochement, the two countries are keeping a close eye on each other. Reuters Map locating Donglang, or Doklam, a disputed area between China, India, and Bhutan. While India has largely pulled back from positions it took during the Doklam standoff, imagery reviewed by Stratfor in January showed that in late 2017 and early 2018, Delhi <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tensions-between-china-and-india-continue-year-after-doklam-standoff-2018-8" target="_blank">increased its deployments</a> of combat aircraft to bases near the disputed area. Those images showed <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tensions-between-china-and-india-continue-year-after-doklam-standoff-2018-8" target="_blank">even more activity</a> around Chinese bases in Tibet, north of the disputed area, including airfield upgrades and a large aircraft presence. (China puts more assets at those bases because it does not have bases closer to the border area.) This month, officials <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/chinese-bunkers-at-lhasa-airport-worry-india/story-B85jNuqEH72jiPk7sPKbcM.html" target="_blank">told Hindustan Times</a> that Delhi was concerned about construction at the Chinese air base in <keyword id="69031" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="lhasa">Lhasa</keyword>, which included bomb-proof bunkers for aircraft and expanded <keyword id="839167" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="surface-to-air-missile">surface-to-air missile</keyword> batteries. "You need blast- or bomb-proof hangars for fighters only if there is a possibility of hostilities," one official said. Any activity with military hardware or other assets that could have military applications around the eastern end of India and China's shared border was likely to attract scrutiny, Pervaiz said. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri A snow-covered Indian army camp at the India-China trade route at Nathu-La, 34 miles north of Gangtok, capital of India's northeastern state of Sikkim and near the Doklam Plateau, January 17, 2009. "If you are India or China and you are seeing any sort of moves that either military is making, you view that almost through the lens of paranoia - that if you're making that move, how can that be used against us in a potential conflict?" he told Business Insider. The Doklam Plateau sits at the southern edge of the Himalayan mountain range, where the elevation is on average close to 15,000 feet. High altitudes and rough terrain put considerable limitations on military operations. While the higher elevation gives China an <a href="https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/sizing-competition-doklam-plateau" target="_blank">advantage</a> in surveillance and physiological acclimatization, lower air density hinders jet aircraft engines and limits the weaponry and fuel that aircraft can carry. China's air force is larger than India's, but it only has five air bases in Tibet - though upgrades at the Lhasa base described by <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/chinese-bunkers-at-lhasa-airport-worry-india/story-B85jNuqEH72jiPk7sPKbcM.html" target="_blank">Hindustan Times</a> include special helicopter bases that allow them to take off and land with full payloads. India's air power in the region would offer it some advantages. Indian air bases, including those that received more aircraft earlier this year, are closer to the area in question than China's bases. India <a href="https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/sizing-competition-doklam-plateau" target="_blank">counts 20 air bases</a> within range of the Line of Actual Control, which separates Indian- and Chinese-claimed territory. India has also also practiced with transport planes at forward landing areas in the region. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri/Files An Indian army officer, left, talks with a Chinese soldier at the 14,140-foot high Nathu-la pass on the country's northeastern border with China, April 9, 2005. But China's air defenses are more <a href="https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/sizing-competition-doklam-plateau" target="_blank">effective and reliable</a> than India's. And China has more artillery that can fire farther and is more mobile. Thin air at higher elevations hinders traditional rocket propulsion, but Chinese officials claimed in August they were progressing on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-says-making-progress-with-electromagnetically-launched-rockets-2018-8" target="_blank">a type of electromagnetic propulsion</a> that would give rocket artillery longer range and more accuracy. Both countries can be expected to use land-attack cruise missiles - the Indian Su-30MKI jets deployed to the area are capable of firing India's Brahmos missile. But China has a larger inventory of them, and the paucity of Chinese targets in the area north of the border would likely mean Beijing would have the edge. Much of the fighting in a conflict around Doklam would likely be done on the ground, even though the terrain would limit quick strikes and mass movement of troops. REUTERS/Frank Jack Daniel Monpa tribeswomen employed by the Indian army work on India's Tezpur-Tawang highway, which runs to the Chinese border in the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, May 28, 2012. Both countries are among <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-powerful-militaries-in-the-world-ranked-2018-2" target="_blank">the most largest militaries</a> in the world. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/militaries-most-active-duty-soldiers-troops-2018-5#2-india-1362500-active-personnel-14" target="_blank">China's 2.1 million active-duty troops</a> are far more than India's 1.3 million, though Indian troops may bring more experience to bear. Indian fought its last war, with Pakistan, in 1999 and has been involved in sporatic clashes with Pakistan, as well as counterterror and counter-insurgency operations for years. (Delhi was developing a special Mountain Strike Corps for the northern border, but it <a href="https://www.janes.com/article/81837/indian-army-shelves-plans-for-new-fighting-corps" target="_blank">was shelved</a> this summer.) China fought its last war in 1979 - a three-week incursion into Vietnam that ended with China's withdrawal, though both sides claimed victory. Xi has <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2153579/chinas-army-infiltrated-peace-disease-after-years" target="_blank">ordered</a> China's military to increase readiness and launched reforms to the force. Along the Line of Actual Control, however, China may gain an edge through <a href="https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/sizing-competition-doklam-plateau" target="_blank">superior</a> command, control, and communications and through its unified command structure in the region, whereas India divides the region among three combatant commands. REUTERS/Frank Jack Daniel An Indian army truck drives along India's Tezpur-Tawang highway, which runs to the Chinese border, in the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, May 28, 2012. India is aware that it would likely lose a military confrontation with China, Pervaiz said, as it did in 1962. (Mao later said China invaded essentially <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/this-is-how-it-could-go-down-if-china-and-india-went-to-war-2017-8" target="_blank">to teach India a lesson</a>.) A conflict now is not in the interest of either country, he added, but "they both are going to continue to sharpen their capabilities in the event that there ever is a conflict [in order] to be able to fight and execute on that conflict, no doubt about it." Since the end of the Doklam standoff, China has kept the assets it deployed there - tents, bunkers, and vehicles, Pervaiz said - in place, even as Indian forces withdrew. Questioned about that change in parliament earlier this year, the Indian <keyword id="6354810" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="defense">Defense</keyword> Ministry tacitly admitted "China has actually altered those facts on the ground" and India had to accept the change, Pervaiz said. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri Indian soldiers play a friendly volleyball match with Chinese soldiers at the Indo-China border at Nathula in Sikkim state, about 109 miles from the northeastern Indian city of Siliguri, September 15, 2005. India too has pursued a longer-term shift in its strategy toward the disputed border. Delhi tried to minimize the number of roads in the border area after the 1962 war in order to deprive future enemies of transportation routes. Since the 1990s, however, India has switched to what Pervaiz called "an offensive-defense posture, meaning that we're not just going to deny the Chinese access to roads in our region. We're actually going to start building more roads and infrastructure so that our military can be better positioned." REUTERS/Adnan Abidi A signboard on the Indian side of the Indo-China border at Bumla, in the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, November 11, 2009. Amid the recalibration, the broader strategic issues driving tensions between India and China - the border dispute or China's partnership with India's rival, Pakistan - have not dissipated, suggesting the current period is one in which both sides are trying to manage their disputes, which Pervaiz analogized to treating a chronic illness. "It may be that the physician says that you're not going to get rid of this," he said. "This is something you're going to have to live with for the rest of your life, but we can manage it ... and then the symptoms can stay under control." Even though neither side sees conflict as in their interest, deep-seated disputes that persist raise the chances one may occur. "In the long run, because the strategic drivers are still there, and they're building up their assets, the roads, the bunkers," Pervaiz said, "that that does mean in the future, there's actually a heightened probability there's going to be some sort of confrontation, even if it's a small one." <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/asia-earth-ice-melted-rising-ocean-coastline-china-india-2015-3">Animated map shows what would happen to Asia if all the Earth's ice melted</a></h3> <pre style="display: none;">function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</pre>

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