The Comptroller and Auditor General on Wednesday said that French aerospace major Dassault Aviation and European missile maker MBDA have “...
The Comptroller and Auditor General on Wednesday said that French aerospace major Dassault Aviation and European missile maker MBDA have “till date” not confirmed the transfer of technology to the Defence Research and Development Organisation, The Hindu reported. The transfer of technology for the indigenous development of engine for the Light Combat Aircraft was part of the Rs 60,000-crore Rafale deal.
India’s offset policy stipulates that for defence capital purchases above Rs 300 crore, the foreign vendor is required to invest at least 30% of the value of the contract in India, to boost indigenous technology. In the Rafale deal, this offset clause was fixed at 50%. This was to be discharged by the four French partners – Dassault Aviation, MBDA, Safran and Thales.
In a report tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, the Comptroller and Auditor General told the Lok Sabha that in October 2019, the Ministry of Defence informed that the vendor had not yet been able to confirm the technology transfer. The first Rafale fighter jet was handed over to the Indian Air Force on October 8, 2019, in France, in a ceremony that was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
“Thus, it is not clear if this technology transfer will take place, and there...
