By N. C. Bipindra

New Delhi: India’s signature defence exhibition, DefExpo 2020, came to a close today in Lucknow, where the last five days witnessed a slew of agreements and Memorandum of Understanding being signed.

India’s Defence Secretary Dr. Ajay Kumar had informed at the event that over 200 of these agreements were signed during the course of the first two days of the event and this was a history of sorts, apart from doubling of the target that was set ahead of the event.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who inaugurated the DefExpo on Feb. 5, had made a strong pitch for collaboration between Indian and foreign companies and for investment in the Defence Industrial Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to enable India emerging as the sector’s manufacturing hub.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the host of DefExpo 2020, had announced that his government was signing 23 Memorandum of Understanding at the event to attract Rs 50,000 crore ($7 billion) worth of investment in the Defence Industrial Corridor in the state.

Indian and Russian companies too signed 14 Memorandum of Understanding at an India-Russia Military Industrial Conference hosted at the DefExpo.

Defence.Capital has made this earnest effort to compile as many of the agreements and the details as possible and the list is not exhaustive, but just a fleeting glace of what had transpired at the DefExpo this time.

Here is the list for your reading pleasure, categorised according to the nomenclature of the agreement:

Memorandum of Understanding

1. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Israel Aerospace Industries and Dynamatic Technologies Limited – for marketing, manufacturing and selling of IAI’s UAVs to the Indian armed forces, paramilitary and central armed police forces.
2. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Elbit Systems’ ISTAR Division – for feasibility of joint development of a Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) rotary UAV of the 2000 kg class for both maritime and land-based military operations.
3. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Elbit Systems – for promoting and marketing the Digital Head Up Displays (HUD) units and extending cooperation for new HUD technologies and promote Digital HUD to the Indian defence services and other potential customers.
4. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur – for providing Do-228 or HS 748 aircraft towards extending logistic support to the Institution’s projects in the field of ‘Cloud Seeding’.
5. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and JSC Rosoboronexport – envisages export of spares and services to friendly countries for which license has been given to HAL. The parties will subsequently sign an agreement on mutually agreed terms and conditions. The scope will include Su-30 MKI, AL 31 FP engine, RD33 engines, and accessories.
6. BEML Limited and Pearson Engineering Limited, United Kingdom – for manufacturing, supply, integration, provide training, Spares and Services for ‘Track Width Mine Plough’ for T-90 tanks.
7. BEML Limited and Bharat Forge Limited – for collaborative programmes such as Development of Mounted Gun System on a 4×4 High mobility vehicle, critical armoured machined forgings for Recovery vehicles, Power train components for 1500 HP Engine and explore potential export markets for APCs.
8. BEML Limited and Prognosys Medical Systems Private Limited, Bangalore – for jointly explore emerging opportunities in AI based Medical Health and Diagnostic Systems on High Mobility Platform for Military applications.
9. BEML Limited and Texmaco Rail and Engineering Private Limited, Kolkata – to jointly address development of systems/subsystems; manufacture; maintenance of existing systems of Russian OEMs in India for T series Tanks and also special rail wagons to Indian Railways.
10. BEML Limited and Punj Corporation Private Limited, New Delhi – to jointly explore development of Russian items for T-72/T-90 tanks for upgradation and overhauling programmes under the policy initiatives of the Government of India.
11. BEML Limited and Si2 Microsystems Private Limited, Bangalore – to jointly explore business opportunities for technology requirements in defence forces in electronic systems, sub-systems, electronic fencing and surveillance systems.
12. Bharat Electronics Limited and Lockheed Martin – to explore industrial opportunities in the F-21 programme
13. Bharat Electronics Limited and Israel Aerospace Industries – for collaboration on establishing a new center for providing product life cycle support including repair and maintenance services for the air-defence systems in India.
14. Defence Research and Development Organisation – Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority – for knowledge partnership.
15. Bharat Forge Limited (BFL) and General Atomics, United States – to probe opportunities to develop and integrate power generation, storage, control and distribution technologies to surface and underwater naval platforms to meet Indian requirements.
16. Bharat Forge Limited and DASTAN Corp., Kyrgyzstan – for development of torpedoes with advanced homing heads for ship-borne and submarine platforms, used by the Indian Navy.
17. Bharat Forge Limited and Paramount Group, Africa – first, to set up a joint venture to join the technologies, capabilities and expertise of both groups in the industrialisation and indigenisation of defence and aerospace systems, in response to emerging opportunities in the Indian market, such as ‘Make in India’ and globally.
18. Bharat Forge Limited and Paramount Group, Africa – second, to set up a joint venture to join the technologies, capabilities and expertise of both groups in the industrialisation and indigenisation of defence and aerospace systems, in response to emerging opportunities in the Indian market, such as ‘Make in India’ and globally.
19. Bharat Forge Limited and Thales, France – to develop their cooperation for the F90 rifles which will serve the defence and law enforcement sectors in India and abroad.
20. Adani Defence and Aerospace and Airbus India – to leverage synergies in aerospace and civil aviation sector.
21. Bharat Electronics Limited and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited – for cooperation in defence and non-defence products
22. Solar Industries – for life assessment of ammunitions
23. Bharat Dynamics Limited and Javelin Joint Venture (a partnership of Raytheon Company and Lockheed Martin) – to explore co-production of the Javelin anti-tank missile system to fulfill potential future requirements of the Indian Ministry of Defence.
24. Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited and Arsenal Joint Stock Company, Bulgaria – to form a strategic alliance in India for manufacturing small arms and ammunition.
25. Larsen & Toubro and ideaForge – to offer drones and allied systems for defence use.
26. Yeoman Marine Services Private Limited and IMS Group, Norway – for transfer of technology of marine products
27. Bharat Dynamics Limited and Almaz Antey – for production of sub-systems of air defence missile complex, air defence gun and life extension of missiles.
28. Punj Corporation Private Limited and UralVagonZavod – for production of spares for battle tanks
29. Vista Consoles and Electronics Private Limited and AgatMoru Inform System – for production of naval systems
30. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited and Rosoboronexport/Arsenal – for land systems
31. Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers and UK India Business Council – to forge closer defence ties between the two countries.

License Agreement Transfer of Technology

32. Defence Research and Development Organisation (Research and Development Establishment – Engineers) and BEML Ltd – for indigenous development of new technology of Mine Field Marking Equipment Mk-II (MFME Mk-II).
33. Defence Research and Development Organisation and Bharat Electronics Limited
34. Defence Research and Development Organisation and Sree Kedarnath Polymers, Kanpur
35. Defence Research and Development Organisation and Mineral Oil Corporation, Kanpur
36. Defence Research and Development Organisation and Bharat Explosives Limited, Lalitpur – First
37. Defence Research and Development Organisation and Bharat Explosives Limited, Lalipur – Second
38. Defence Research and Development Organisation and Economic Explosives Limited, Nagpur
39. Defence Research and Development Organisation and Accord Software and Systems Private Limited, Bengaluru
40. Defence Research and Development Organisation and Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad
41. Defence Research and Development Organisation and Goa Shipyard Limited
42. Defence Research and Development Organisation and KINECO Limited, Goa
43. Defence Research and Development Organisation and Netplast Private Limited, Kanpur
44. Defence Research and Development Organisation and Ajit Technoplast Private Limited, Kanpur
45. Defence Research and Development Organisation and Krishna Allied Industries Private Limited, Vadodara
46. Defence Research and Development Organisation and Entec Engineering Company, Bengaluru
47. Defence Research and Development Organisation and Data Pattern Private Limited, Bengaluru
48. Defence Research and Development Organisation and HBL Power Systems Limited, Hyderabad
49. Defence Research and Development Organisation and Kusumgar Corporates Private Limited, Mumbai

Contract Signing

50. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Indian Coast Guard – for midlife upgradation programme on 17 Coast Guard Do-228 aircraft manufactured by HAL Kanpur.
51. Bharat Electronics Limited and Indian Coast Guard – for Chain of Static Sensors for Coastal Surveillance

Hand-Over of Certification

52. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Directorate General of Civil Aviation – Handing over of modification document of HAL Do-228 (Upgraded) civil aircraft for 5700 All Up Weight (AUW)
53. Defence Research and Development Organisation and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bengaluru – Initial Operational Clearance Certification for Light Utility Helicopters

Design and Development Agreement

54. Adani Defence & Aerospace and Elbit Systems – to setup a design and development centre focusing on co-developing defence technologies aligned to the global requirements.

Lease Agreement

55. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Turbo Aviation Private Limited – for operating two Do-228 aircraft under the UDAN scheme.

Co-Development Agreement

56. MKU Limited, Kanpur and- Thales, France – for co-development of ELFIE Night Vision Device

Technology Development Agreement

57. Defence Research & Development Organisation (High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, Pune) and JSC Rosoboronexport, Russia – for development of Advanced Pyrotechnic Ignition Systems.

Roadmap Agreement

58. Russian Helicopters Holding Company (part of Rostec State Corporation) and Russian-Indian company Indo-Russian Helicopters Limited (IRHL) – for localisation of Ka-226T helicopter production in India.

Non-Disclosure Agreement

59. Hindustant Aeronautics Limited and New Space Reseach and Technologies Private Limited – to explore cooperation for joint development and manufacturing of various products and systems in the area of unmanned systems, swarm technology and space systems.