New Delhi. Reaffirming their commitment to strengthening India’s aerospace sector and India-US ties, Lockheed Martin Corp. and Tata Advanced Systems are hosting a third annual industry supplier conference this week in India.
Lockheed Martin, Tata, Tier 1 suppliers and prospective Indian industry partners gathered at the event July 16-18 to discuss partnership opportunities that strengthen India-US defence industrial ties and Make in India partnerships. In addition to India’s highly capable public sector companies, many private Indian companies have entered the aerospace and defence arena, which will continue to drive innovation and broaden the array of capabilities across India’s defence-industrial ecosystem.
“Lockheed Martin is fully committed to meeting India’s need for advanced, scalable defence capabilities,” said Dr. Vivek Lall, vice president of Strategy and Business Development, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. “Our partnership with Indian industry on both the F-21 and S-76D proposals for the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy will put India at the epicenter of world’s largest defence ecosystem and deliver unmatched sustainment and export opportunities.”
“We are happy to co-host the supplier conference with our strategic partner Lockheed Martin, setting a common platform for the Indian players to meet and share knowledge with global suppliers and OEMs,” said Mr. Sukaran Singh, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Tata Advanced Systems. “Our successful partnerships and joint ventures with Lockheed Martin have helped to build new capabilities and strengthen the Indian defence manufacturing sector and India-US ties. We hope to further grow this relationship with the F-21 project and other world-class programs.”
In addition to Tata, Lockheed Martin industry partners and suppliers include BAE Systems, Cobham, Collins Aerospace, Curtiss-Wright, Eaton, Elbit Systems, Elta, GE Aviation, Honeywell, L3Harris, Leonardo, Martin Baker, Meggitt, Moog, Northrop Grumman, Parker Hannifin, Pratt & Whitney, Rada, Rafael, Raytheon, Safran Electrical & Power, and other leading global defence and aerospace companies.
“Defence industry partnerships have long been a hallmark of strategic ties and trust,” said Phil Shaw, chief executive of Lockheed Martin India. “We see tremendous strength and opportunity in India’s defence industry and we’re very excited by the incredible potential in India.”
Lockheed Martin and India
For more than 25 years, Lockheed Martin has been committed to building trust, technology development, and strategic collaboration with India. Lockheed Martin has two state-of-the-art manufacturing joint ventures in India with Tata Advanced Systems. The company recently emphasized its commitment to India by announcing the company will partner with Tata to produce F-16 wings in India for all future customers.
Lockheed Martin also relies on TASL in Hyderabad, India, as the manufacturing base for its global supply of cabin aerostructures for the S-92 helicopter. Lockheed Martin has been a strong supporter of Government of India initiatives including Make in India, Start-up India, Skills India, and Digital India. As a part of its larger commitment to enhance the growth and development of India’s innovation, Lockheed Martin has sponsored and supported the India Innovation Growth Programme (IIGP) since 2007.
Lockheed Martin is committed to strategic, long-term international defence partnerships with India and hopes to strengthen and grow its relationship with India as part of an unprecedented F-21 fighter aircraft partnership for India, from India.
