General Electric to produce jet engines for Indian military aircraft: Report

New Delhi: American manufacturing giant General Electric is all set to produce jet engines to power Indian military aircraft. Media reports have claimed it.

As per the reports, the deal would be signed and announced by the Biden administration when President Joe Biden hosts Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an official state visit on June 22.

Citing sources, it said, the agreement, finalizing the joint production of the engines, is expected to be signed and announced during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official state visit to the United States on June 22, when he meets President Joe Biden. The decision has not yet been made public.

The White House had confirmed in January that it had received the application for joint engine production in India, however, it declined to comment on the matter. GE has not provided an immediate response to requests for comment.

It is important to note that the deal is not yet finalized and will also require notification to the US Congress, as per two of the individuals briefed on the arrangement. The United States maintains stringent controls on sharing or selling domestic military technology to other countries. 

Earlier this year, a broader joint partnership between the US and India was announced, aiming to foster collaboration between companies from both nations, particularly in the areas of military equipment and cutting-edge technology. 

While GE has offered some technology transfer to HAL, which will act as a licensed manufacturer for the engines, India is pushing for further technology sharing, according to one of the sources familiar with the discussions. 

HAL is currently using a lighter GE engine for the production of 83 TEJAS for the Indian Air Force. However, India's long-term plan is to manufacture over 350 fighter jets for the air force and navy in the next two decades, potentially utilizing the GE-414 engine.

India is eager to acquire the knowledge and capability to manufacture aircraft engines domestically. Although it can produce fighter jets within the country, it lacks the capacity to develop engines to power them. 

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