Will produce Ka-226T chopper with HAL not just for Indian market, but also for exports: Rostec

NEW DELHI: Russia's major defence manufacturer Rostec said that, the company was looking forward to export Ka-226T choppers from India. Dmitriy Shugaev, Deputy General Director of Rostec told Economictimes.com, "While the initial 40 Ka-226T helicopters will be manufactured in Russia and delivered to India, subsequently the rest will be manufactured in India. We are looking to jointly produce them not just for the needs of the Indian market, but also for exports, which would result in far more units in this project than the original 200."

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On being asked about when can the production of first chopper be expected in India, Shugaev said, "At this point the final design of the Make-in-India Ka-226T is still being finalised. However, in our experience complex projects involving the setting up of a new production facility could take up to three or four years from the time of the agreement to them finally being delivered to the end-customer."

Rostec exhibited a wide range of missile systems during Defence Expo 2016, and is confident of creating a niche in India. While applauding India's missile technology, Sergei Goreslavsky, Deputy General Director of Rosoboronexport said," We believe we have a lot of offer to India, in terms of the sheer range and capabilities of our varied missile systems. We definitely see a market for our missile systems in India over the long term, both as a seller and also as a co-development partner." Goreslavsky also said, " The 'Verba' MANPADS, which is currently entering service into the Russian military, has been shown internationally for the very first time in India. We believe the Verba is a very relevant system for use in India particularly in areas of difficult terrain and tough climate."

Rosoboronexport, part of Rostec, is the sole Russian state intermediary agency responsible for import and export of the full range of and dual-use end products, technologies and services.

Talking about government's Make-in-India vision, the Russian officials said, "Implementation of Make-in-India will take time, because those in the private sector are only just entering the defence manufacturing sector. So we must all learn to be a little more patient as this matures."

Stating India's prospects of becoming a major manufacturing hub, the officials said, "With time, the complexity and scale of offerings from India will only increase. We definitely see this happening given the Indian government’s commitment to manufacturing."

On being asked to comment on future defence ventures in India, Rostec said, "Russia is one of India’s oldest and most trusted defence partners. Today up to 70% of India’s navy and up to 80% of India’s air force is of Russian-made. The business opportunity for Russia has always been significant and continues to remain so, especially in relation to modernisation and replacement programs."