Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

India inks weapons deal worth nearly $2 billion with Israel

India will buy nearly $2 billion worth of weapons technology from Israel in what's being described as the "largest defence contract" ever signed by the military exporting giant.

The deal will see state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries provide India with an advanced defence system of medium-range surface-to-air missiles, launchers and communications technology, the company said in a statement Thursday.


The "mega" missile agreement is "considered to be the largest defense contract in Israel's defense industries' history", the company said.

The Israeli firm will also supply a naval defence system including long-range surface-to-air missiles for India's first aircraft carrier, which is still under construction.

Comment was not immediately available from India's defence ministry.

Israel Aerospace Industries said some components will be assembled in India, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push to reduce reliance on costly imports.

Modi's government has raised the limit on foreign investment in the defence sector and encouraged tie-ups between foreign and local companies under a 'Make in India' campaign.

India -- the world's largest defence importer -- has been investing tens of billions in updating its Soviet-era military hardware to counter long-standing tensions with regional rivals China and Pakistan.

India has signed several big-ticket defence deals since Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party stormed to power in 2014.

Israel is a top weapons exporter, with sales last year surging to $6.5 billion.

India is a top market for its arms, as New Delhi has turned increasingly away from traditional ally Russia for its military hardware.

Last year India signed a contract to buy 36 Rafale twin-engine fighter jets from France for 7.9 billion euros ($8.8 billion) after major delays and obstacles over the cost and assembly of the planes in India.

More For You

Pounds

The research shows that median wealth rose for Indian-origin adults during this period, while the wealth gap between ethnic groups increased.

AFP via Getty Images

LSE study shows wealth gains for Indian-origin adults in UK since 2012


Wealth among Indian-origin adults in the UK rose over the past decade, even as wealth gaps between ethnic groups widened, according to new research by the London School of Economics.

The study by the LSE’s Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion found that since 2012-14, wealth gains were mainly seen among adults from the white British and Indian ethnic groups, while gains across Britain were concentrated at the top.

Keep ReadingShow less