Yelahanka, Bengaluru: India is willing to go for transfer of technology (ToT) with Egypt even as the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) is looking to set up an entire production line for manufacturing the light combat aircraft (LAC) there, ABP Live has learnt.
The state-owned HAL is also focussing on other markets such as Argentina, Malaysia, Mauritius and Sri Lanka to export not the LAC Tejas but also their advanced light helicopters and Dornier aircraft, according to HAL.
"We have got good leads for LCA from various countries…Egypt has shown interest. We have been offering they we can establish a local ecosystem over there so that it will facilitate their defence industry ecosystem which is also picking up," CB Ananthakrishnan, chairman and managing director, HAL, said at a media briefing Tuesday on the sidelines of the ongoing Aero India 2023.
READ | Reliance On Defence Imports Compromises Strategic Objective, Says Rajnath Singh
From designing to technology transfer to production, HAL is looking at offering the Egyptians a complete solution for the Tejas fighter jets.
"We are willing the build the Tejas ecosystem for them right from (providing) raw materials to the final production… We are at a discussion stage right now. They want to have the entire production line there. If numbers matter definitely it will be doable and we are also willing to set up under licensed technology like we also get licensed technology from other countries," Jayadeva EP, Director (Operations), HAL told ABP Live.
He said, "We are willing to cooperate and we are willing to go for ToT also with them (Egypt)."
This comes in the wake of the recent visit to India by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi where the India-Egypt ties were upgraded to 'Strategic Partnership' with a major focus on bolstering the defence partnership.
The discussions to export defence items to Egypt as well as setting up a manufacturing unit for the fighters began to take place during the visit of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to Egypt in October 2022.
Prior to that, Chief of Air Staff Air Marshall VR Chaudhari visited Egypt in November 2021, which was reciprocated by a visit to India by his Egyptian counterpart Air Marshal Mohamed Abbas Helmy Md Hashem in July 2022.
Apart from Egypt, HAL is also looking at Argentina, Malaysia and Philippines.
"Argentina has also shown major interest. They are quite convinced about the product, they are quite happy about the product. Their Air Force team had come and flew the aircraft also. So we are pursuing our leads with Argentina. In fact, one of the contracts will get signed shortly with them to be followed by the LCA order getting through," said the CMD.
However, in Malaysia, the state-owned company has faced a "setback" as the Royal Malaysian Air Force has shown more interest in the South Korean FA-50 Golden Eagle fighter jet over LCA Tejas.
"In fact in Malaysia we are one of the short-listed companies. We were very hopeful that we will be taking the contract. But there has been slight setback. It looks like that the other participant has been shortlisted," said Ananthakrishnan.
He also said, "Tejas was one of the products which has been shortlisted along with the Korean aircraft. Now what we are hearing, even though we have not received anything black and white, we are hearing that the Koreans have got the order. But notwithstanding that we are pushing through our products as well, as far as Malaysia is concerned."
According to Jayadeva, HAL has set an overall export target of Rs.2,500 crores for the next two years.