Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: India could soon have Lockheed Martin, the American global aerospace, defense, security and advanced technologies company, manufacturing F-16 fighter jets in India.
The Hindu report said that the proposal for setting up an assembly line for F-16 fighters in India was discussed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the U.S. earlier this month.
Notably, the government opened up the defence sector allowing foreign companies to own as much as 100% equity in the local defence sector through the government approval route in cases where it is likely to result in access to modern technology.
"We are ready to manufacture F-16 aircraft in India and support the Make in India initiative," Phil Shaw, chief executive of Lockheed Martin India had told reporters at the Singapore Airshow 2016.
However, it needs to be seen how willing Indian Air Force would induct a fighter jet that first took to the skies more than 40 years ago, and many other countries are already inducting more advanced fighter jets to power their Air Force.
