Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 5

In the first major ‘make in India’ move, Russia has formally agreed to have a joint venture with India for production of the Kamov-226T light-utility helicopter.The two long-standing military allies had been discussing the project since December 2015, but Russia had not approved the joint venture (JV). Top sources in the Ministry of Defence today confirmed that Moscow had conveyed its consent, which was accorded by President Vladimir Putin.New Delhi was not satisfied with the price being asked by the Russian side and it was one of the reasons for holding back the formal JV.The MoD would then ask the new company to submit its technical and commercial proposal within six months, meaning some cost negotiation will be carried out in the future.Kamov-HAL are to produce 200 of the Kamov 226T copters at a cost of nearly US$ 1 billion (Rs 6,500 crore) or Rs 32 crore per copter. Sixty of these copters will come in fly-away condition from Russia, another 40 will be assembled in India and the remaining 100 will be fully built in India.An inter government agreement inked in October 2016, during the Narendra Modi-Putin meeting at Goa, had announced the Kamov deal.The twin-engine Kamov 226-T will replace the single-engine Cheetah/Chetak, usually deployed for surveillance, dropping small loads and for rescue, including of troops posted at forbidding heights such as the Siachen Glacier-Saltoro Ridge region.The three services and the Coast Guard currently have 430 Cheetah/Chetaks. These are based on the 1950s’ designed Alouette Aérospatiale 315B Lama of France.

New firm to be floated

• India, Russia will now form new company ‘Indo-Russian Helicopters Private Ltd’
• Russian govt-owned Rostec Corporation will own 49.5 pc stake in the firm
• Ministry of Defence-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited will own the rest 50.5 pc
• Indian forces need some 800 light utility copters over next decade