NEW DELHI: After picking up a controlling stake in the Pipavav shipyard, Anil Ambani is ready to make his debut in the defence sector with a subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure set to bid for two major military chopper contracts worth over $ 3 billion.
Ambani, who has been meeting top executives of global defence manufacturers over the past few weeks, as reported by ET, is believed to be keen on entering the helicopter business full throttle, given the existing requirement of over 1,000 military choppers that will increase over the years. Sources said that Reliance Infrastructure has tied up with a European manufacturer through one of its subsidiaries and has responded to a request for information (RFI) by the Indian Navy. The Indian Naval requires more than 100 Naval Utility Helicopters .
The contract, which will proceed after replies are received from all industries by the end of this month, is valued at over $ 1.5 billion and would involve manufacturing the choppers in India with complete transfer of technology. Other Indian companies that have responded include Tata Advanced Systems, HAL and Mahindra Aerospace.
Ambani, who has met top executives from chopper manufacturers like Bell, AgustaWestland and Airbus recently, is also set to respond to the requirement of 197 light helicopters for the army and air force to maintain troops in high altitude areas like the Siachen. The contract, which is to meet critical deficiencies in the fleet that are affected the army’s operational capabilities, has been hanging fire since 2005 and has been cancelled thrice.
While a joint agreement has not been inked, global players like Bell or Airbus could partner Reliance Infrastructure for this contract. In response to a questionnaire sent by ET, a Reliance Infra spokesperson said, “the defence and aerospace sector has been identified as a priority growth area for the company. We intend to pursue various opportunities under the different programmes of the Ministry of Defence.”
Source: The Economic Times
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