Ahead of US President Joe Biden’s visit to India for the G20 Summit, the US Congress has given its seal of approval to the historic agreement between GE Aerospace and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). This deal paves the way for the joint production of F414 engines in India, a development that carries immense significance for the Indian Air Force and its pursuit of self-reliance in defence technology.

Valued at an impressive US$1 billion, this agreement represents a substantial commitment from GE Aerospace. The company is set to transfer 80 percent of its advanced technology to India, ushering in a new era of indigenous defence production. This significant technology transfer is poised to catapult India’s indigenous content for the next-generation fighter jet to approximately 75 percent, a notable leap from the previous program’s 55-60 percent.

The green light from the US Congress has set the stage for further discussions during President Biden’s visit to India for the G20 summit in September 2023. This high-profile diplomatic event holds the potential to deepen the cooperation between the two nations, particularly in the defence sector.

As reported previously by Financial Express Online, this partnership between GE Aerospace and HAL is hailed as a game changer by HAL Chief CB Ananthakrishnan. Under the terms of the deal, GE Aerospace will facilitate the production of F414 fighter jet engines in India, aligning with the Indian Air Force’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk2 program. With its estimated value of US$1 billion, this pact ensures collaborative production, bringing cutting-edge technology and manufacturing expertise to Indian soil.

The significance of this arrangement extends to the heart of India’s defence strategy. It is projected to result in a substantial increase in indigenous content for the new fighter jet, effectively elevating it to a level of 75 percent. This marks a significant improvement over the 55-60 percent indigenous content in the LCA Mk-1A and the 50 percent in LCA Mk1.

The HAL CMD CB Ananthakrishnan has highlighted previously following the announcement of the deal during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit that this partnership is not merely about the present but also forms the cornerstone for future indigenous engines that will power military jets.

The final agreement is prepared to cover the co-production of 99 F414 jet engines. This collaboration will lead to cost savings, as India leverages the technology transfer from GE Aerospace. It is projected that the first batch of these engines will roll off the production line in India within the next three years, marking a significant milestone in India’s journey toward self-reliance in defence technology.

Background
In a significant step forward, GE Aerospace signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hindustan Aeronautics in June 2023. This MoU outlines the co-production of GE’s F414 engines in India, which will power the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk2. This strategic move aligns with GE Aerospace’s four-decade-long presence in India, where it has played a pivotal role in the aviation industry. The company’s engagements span engines, avionics, services, engineering, manufacturing, and local sourcing.

GE Aerospace’s commitment to India’s defence capabilities began with its involvement in supporting the development of LCA Mk1, equipped with F404 engines. Subsequently, GE Aerospace’s F404 and F414 engines became integral to the development and production programs of LCA Mk1A and LCA Mk2.

To date, a significant number of F404 engines have been successfully delivered, with an additional 99 engines on order for LCA Mk1A. Furthermore, eight F414 engines have been delivered as part of an ongoing development program for LCA Mk2. These achievements underscore the reliability and quality of GE Aerospace’s products in bolstering India’s defence capabilities.

With this groundbreaking agreement, GE Aerospace envisions not only manufacturing its products in India but also partnering in prototype development, testing, and certification of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program with the F414-INS6 engine. Additionally, the company plans to collaborate closely with the Indian government on the AMCA Mk2 engine program, further solidifying its commitment to India’s aerospace aspirations.

GE’s current footprint in India includes a state-of-the-art Research and Development (R&D) center in Bengaluru and a multi-modal factory in Pune. These facilities are poised to play a pivotal role in realizing the goals of this transformative aerospace partnership.

The 20th edition of the India-US Military Cooperation Group (MCG) meeting was held on August 30-31 in Hawaii, US, with the discussions focusing on defence cooperation mechanisms between the two nations, the Defence Officials said.

The meeting was co-chaired from the Indian side by Lt Gen Johnson P. Mathew and Lt Gen Stephen D. Skelenka, Deputy Commander of American Indo-Pacific Command.

The discussions focused on new initiatives under the ambit of existing bilateral defence cooperation mechanisms & strengthening the ongoing India-US defence engagements, the Defence officials added.

“The senior leaders discussed opportunities for continued integration to strengthen interoperability and #Readiness to maintain peace and stability in the #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific,” the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).

According to the official readout of the 20th U.S.-India Military Cooperation Group the 20th MCG aimed at further strengthening military-to-military cooperation between India and the US in the Indo-Pacific Region and beyond.

“This year’s engagement included senior leadership from U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) to facilitate holistic discussion about the Indian Ocean region,” the readout said.

“The U.S. and India-amongst the oldest democracies and the largest democracy respectively in the world-face many of the same challenges in the region; the MCG forum has once again facilitated rich, strategic discussion about how to address those issues,” said Sklenka.

“The pace and trajectory of this strategic partnership is remarkable and buttressed by our shared values, trust and mutual respect for the rule of law.

US President Joe Biden will travel to India on Thursday to attend the G20 summit on the sidelines of which he will also have a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the White House has announced. India, President of the G20, will host global leaders for the Summit scheduled to take place on September 9 and 10 in New Delhi.

On Thursday, the President will travel to New Delhi, India to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit, the White House said in a statement on Friday.

On September 8, the President will participate in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi.

On Saturday and Sunday, the President will participate in the G20 summit, where the President and G20 partners will discuss a range of joint efforts to tackle global issues, including the clean energy transition and combating climate change.

They will also mitigate the economic and social impacts of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, and increase the capacity of multilateral development banks, including the World Bank, to better fight poverty, including by addressing global challenges.

While in New Delhi, the President will also commend Prime Minister Modi’s leadership of the G20 and reaffirm the US commitment to the G20 as the premier forum of economic cooperation, including by hosting it in 2026.

Indian-American Vivek Ramaswamy has acknowledged that there were some “very small” differences between him and former US president Donald Trump but they were “deeply aligned” on policy issues, 90-plus per cent of the way” as the two fight it out for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination in 2024.

Speaking to Fox News on Friday about his policy differences with Trump, his fellow Republican rival in the race for the party’s nomination next year, Mr Ramaswamy, a multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur, said he and Trump were “the two ‘America-first’ candidates” in the race.

“I think we have an opportunity to reunite this country around our shared ideals, and that will allow me to take the America First agenda even further than Donald Trump did, by building on what I think is a very good foundation that he laid,” Mr Ramaswamy said.

“I think we’re deeply aligned on policy, 90-plus per cent of the way,” The Hill newspaper quoted Mr Ramaswamy as saying on Fox News.

“There are some small differences. I would rescind affirmative action. I would militarise the southern border instead of just building the wall. I would shut down the U.S. Department of Education, not just put a good person, [former Education Secretary] Betsy DeVos, on top to reform it,” Mr Ramaswamy said.

Trump, 77, has lavished praise on the 38-year-old Indian-American presidential contender Ramaswamy, calling him a “smart, young guy” days after he caught the attention of the American media following his maiden Republican presidential primary debate on August 23.

Trump, the frontrunner in the nomination race, made the remarks on Tuesday, after he was asked whether he’s considering a “Vice President Ramaswamy”.

During the interview on Friday, Mr Ramaswamy said that he supports Trump’s policies.

Mr Ramaswamy has effusively praised Trump throughout his campaign, promising to pardon the former president of any potential convictions on his first day in the White House.

“I think we have an opportunity to reunite this country around our shared ideals, and that will allow me to take the America First agenda even further than Donald Trump did, by building on what I think is a very good foundation that he laid,” Mr Ramaswamy said.

As the political situation in the United States gets more intense ahead of the 2024 presidential elections, former US President Donald Trump, a key frontrunner for the polls, has lauded his Republican rival, the Indian-origin presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, and said that he would be open to having the latter as the vice presidential candidate.

The 77-year-old Trump heaped praises on the Indian-origin US entrepreneur and commended his renegade politics and energy. “I think he’s great. Look, anybody that said I’m the best president in a generation… I have to like a guy like that,” Trump said in an interview with Blaze TV’s Glenn Beck.

“I can’t get upset with him but he’s a smart guy. He’s a young guy. He’s got a lot of talent. He’s a very very very intelligent person. He’s got good energy and he could be in some form of something,” said the former US President.

Notably, the 38-year-old Ramaswamy, despite being Trump’s rival in the run-up to the 2024 elections, has been one of the stauncher defenders of his policies and the four indictments currently levelled against the 45th President. During last week’s Republican primary debate, Ramaswamy hailed Trump as the “best President of the 21st century” and said that his candidacy will aim for taking Trump’s policies to the next level.

Trump’s latest comments are significant as he is generally known for “rhetorically carpet-bombing” his rivals, especially those who gain momentum or encroach on his time in the limelight. The unexpected endorsement has set off speculations that Ramaswamy might become Trump’s running mate in the upcoming polls. During the 2016 elections, Mike Pence was the vice presidential candidate below Trump.

Nevertheless, Trump also sounded a word of caution for his Republican rival. “He’s starting to get out there a little bit. He’s a little bit controversial. I can tell him be a little bit careful some things you have to hold in just a little bit, right?… He’s got a lot of good energy I will tell you and he’s been very nice to me,” said the former President.

Ramaswamy’s position among Republicans
IndianRamaswamy’s popularity rating and online fundraising surged on August 24, a day after his maiden Republican presidential debate. According to the first poll which came out after the debate, 28 per cent of the 504 respondents said that Ramaswamy performed the best, followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis with 27 per cent, and Mike Pence (13%). Nikki Haley stood at the last spot with seven per cent.

The NBC News described the debate as “Vivek Ramaswamy Show”. He is now tied with DeSantis at the second position in the GOP primary polls, but both of them lag significantly behind Trump who leads with 56% ahead of the 2024 elections.

However, Ramaswamy’s foreign policy proposals have been criticised, especially his prescriptions for Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine.

Ahead of the 2024 elections, Ramaswamy has made his agenda clear for the poll campaign in which he has dubbed China as the “biggest threat” that the US faces and vowed to go for “total de-coupling” with Beijing if he is voted to power.

He is the third Indian-American — along with Nikki Haley and Hirsh Vardhan Singh — who will be up against former President Donald Trump in the primaries in January next year.

Who is Vivek Ramaswamy?
Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur and US right-wing media favorite, has announced his bid to run for US President in 2024. In his campaign announcement video, he stated his belief in the existence of the ideals that united Americans 250 years ago and his intention to revive them if elected.

Born to Indian parents in Ohio, Ramaswamy attended Harvard University, where he studied molecular biology and later obtained a law degree from Yale Law School. He is a serial entrepreneur and founded Roivant Sciences in 2014, a biopharmaceutical company that focuses on developing and commercializing innovative therapies. The company is worth over $6.3 billion today and applies new technological advances to drug research.

Apart from Roivant, Ramaswamy is also a co-founder at Strive Asset Management, which is backed by venture capitalists like Peter Thiel, Bill Ackerman, and JD Vance.