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A Tejas light combat aircraft of the Indian Air Force (Internet photo)
To compete against China in the overseas weapons market, Narendra Modi, the newly elected prime minister of India will likely push the nation to provide weapon systems to developing nations at much lower prices, according to the Moscow-based Military-Industrial Courier.
Echoing this possibility, Avinash Chander, chief of India's state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), recently told the New Delhi-based Press Trust of India that the country needs a "policy mechanism" for exporting weapon systems to friendly foreign nations. "We have a list of equipment that includes the Light Combat Aircraft 'Tejas', 'Akash' air defence system, 'Prahar' class of missiles and 'BrahMos' supersonic cruise missiles along with a number of systems that can be exported," said Chander.
One advantage that Chinese weapons have is their price compared to American and Russian weapon systems. However, Chander said that India can compete with China and offer even cheaper prices. "There are various other systems, like if you take strategic missiles, the long-range missiles that China sells to Saudi Arabia and the cost at which we produce, it would be one-third or one-fourth," he told the paper.
"Many times Indian weapons are a lot cheaper," Chander added, "What we are suggesting is that there should be a single window clearance system for export of weapons in a timebound manner." Using the nation's domestic light combat aircraft as an example, Chander indicated that there is scope to export 500-1,000 cost competitive Teja fighters. "LCA is likely to be ready for induction into IAF by the end of this year after attaining the Final Operational Clearance," said the DRDO chief.
India can export arms at cheaper prices than China: official|Politics|News|WantChinaTimes.com