Make in India: US offers to jointly manufacture fighter jets with India

NEW DELHI: The US can help India fill a key gap in its defence architecture by collaborating with it to build the planes that are needed to safeguard the country’s airspace, ambassador Richard Verma said. He also said that the two countries had taken joint action against a "high-profile hacking group" operating in India.

"India faces a critical shortage of frontline fighter aircraft to patrol its skies and keep its airspace safe," the US ambassador to India said at an Observer Research Foundation event in Delhi on Friday. "Expanding our bilateral defence cooperation could help address that challenge. I see no reason why the United States and India cannot build fighter aircraft together, right here in India."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi may meet President Barack Obama for the second time this year during his trip to the US in September. ET reported August 10 that this may take place on Modi’s way back from San Francisco as the two leaders seek to enlarge bilateral ties that have gained significant momentum since the Obama's trip to India in January.

If it happens, this meeting will take place ahead of the first Indo-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue in Washington. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and commerce minister Nirmala Sitharaman will lead India at the dialogue, which was upgraded to a strategic and commercial dialogue from a bilateral strategic dialogue at January's Obama-Modi meeting.

Verma said Friday that the US and India have been pioneers in the digital domain and should continue to work together to combat threats through information sharing. "For example, we recently provided information on a high-profile hacking group operating from India, enabling our two countries to take concerted action against these threats," Verma said.