During Prime Minister Modi's recent (2023) state visit to the United States, the both sides announced the following deals -
- Semiconductor industry investments
- Semiconductor Assembly and Testing Plant to be built by the US-based company, Micron, in India by the end of 2024, and it will produce its first chip in six quarters.
- Semiconductor is a 'foundational technology' used in electronic appliances such as phones, computers, cars etc.
- Government of India has revised the incentives offered to manufacturers under the Productive Linked Incentive (PIL) scheme.
- Partnership in quantum and advanced computing and AI
- Cooperation of Jet engines in India
- This deal will sea 80% technology transfer by General Electric (GE) to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) after three year of signing the contract.
- Previously 'Engine Development Agreement' was signed in 2012 between GE and HAL for the F414 engine. It had provided for 58% technology transfer.
- Under the deal, F414 engines of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-MK2 will be manufactured in India itself.
- Impacts of the deal:-
- LCA MK2 will have
- 1350 mm longer featuring canards
- payload of 6500 kgs compared to 3500 kgs for the MK1 and MK1A.
- around 120-130 LCA MK2 jets are likely to be produced.
- India to join the 11-national mineral security partnership for critical minerals, where China has a global monopoly.
- Cooperation on critical and emerging technologies, particularly in clean energy. Critical technologies include -
- special coating for corrosion
- casting machining and coating for Single Crystal for turbine blades
- casting machining and caoting of nozzle guide vanes and other hot parts
- blisk machining
- forging/power metallurgy discs for turbine
- machining for thin walled titanium casing
- friction inertia welding for fan and after burner
- Polymer Matrix Composites (PMC) for LPNGV, flaps
- laser drilling technology for combustor
- bottle boring of shafts
- Artemis Accords for cooperation in space exploration
- NASA-ISRO partnership for human spaceflight
- Procurement of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)
- Deal for procurement of 31 MQ-9B armed High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) - 15 for the Navy and 8 each for the Army and Air Force.
- The current indigenous content proposed in the MQ-9B deal is 8% to 9% while India is hoping it can be increased up to 15% to 20%.
- General Atomics will establish a comprehensive global Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in India.
- Impacts:-
- It will enhance the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities of India's armed forces across domains.
- As per its manufacturer General Atomics, the MQ-9B can provide roughly 80% of the capabilities of a large human-flown maritime patrol aircraft at about 20% of its cost per hour.
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