Minister Philip Dunne who was in Goa for Defexpo 2016.
The United Kingdom is “very well placed to work with India on its new strategy and welcomed the Defence Procurement Policy (DPP), announced by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar at the Defexpo India 2016 held in Goa March 28-31.
“We think that is exactly the right line to help India develop its own indigenous capability and also to develop partnerships with other nations such as the UK that wants to work increasingly and collaboratively with India,” said Philip Dunne, Minister of State for Defence Procurement who led the UK industries to the exhibition.
“We have a track record of working in India in defence through joint ventures,” he stressed in an interview with fii-news.com.
He singled out the success of the Hawk programme by BAE Systems along with its Indian partner Hindustan Aeronautical Ltd (HAL). More than 1,000 aircraft have been produced in India over the past five decades.
“Hawk has a very exciting future as it continues to get develop both in the UK and India,” said Dunne.
“We believe we are extremely well placed to work with India and develop not only the systems of yesterday which we have been doing for long but also systems for tomorrow,” he said, underlining “The UK is a natural partner”.
The DPP will encourage the technology transfer which has been somehow restricted in the past because of the ownership restriction on direct investment, Dunne believes.
He expects to see DPP allowing more equal partnerships between Indian and foreign companies, which is currently at 49 per cent for foreigners’ shareholding.
“For specific technology, you are more likely to get technology transfer if the partnership is more equal,” said Dunne, assuring “I think this new policy is more appropriate response to create indigenous technology.”
Dunne also disclosed a strategic review undertaken in the UK on military/armed force collaborations in the two countries.
“We see collaboration between our military and armed forces and those in India through a central platform through which to develop a joint collaboration that includes modernization of the armed forces in India,” he said.
In our strategic defence security review last year … (we) identified India as one of the countries with whom we want our armed forces to cooperate more closely across each of the defence than sea and air.
“We have been increasing engagement within defence and science community and looking at opportunity to collaborate together. We are looking at more capabilities where we can develop both working together in the number of areas,” he said.
Dunne also highlighted opportunities in aircraft carrier building programme in the UK and India.
“We see a capability partnership in the aircraft carrier strike domain where each country will need to develop its doctrine the way it operates (each) vessel, protect it, use it for humanitarian or strike capability around the world.
“We both have got things to learn from each other as we go along that journey,” he said of the aircraft carriers.
The minister also underlined capabilities development of theUK Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
“We have brought UK SMEs capabilities to showcase to Indian prime contractors at the Goa Defexpo and find a relationship and vice-versa, and get into the supply chain and strengthen our defence relationships,” he said. fii-news.com
