India, Russia likely to sign $1 bn deal to produce Kamov choppers

New Delhi: India and Russia are expected to sign this weekend a "complex agreement" for the production of 200 Kamov 226T helicopters domestically under a nearly USD 1 billion deal to replace the country's the aging Cheetah and Chetak choppers.

The agreement is expected to be inked on the sidelines of the 2016 BRICS Summit in Goa from October 13 to October 16.

A variety of negotiations on the expansion of military- technical cooperation and fortification of trade relations with India will be held.

"The complex agreement to set up a joint production facility of Ka-226T helicopters is expected to be signed at the BRICS forum," said a statement by Rostec State Corporation, an umbrella organisation of about 700 Russian firms founded in 2007 to promote the development, production, and export of high-tech industrial products for civil and military purposes.

This agreement will be the next big step in cooperation between Russia and India in the area of helicopter production and service.

The preliminary contract was signed by the head of Rostec Sergei Chemezov, CEO, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December last year.

In addition to this, the heads of the state corporations will conduct a series of negotiations on development in the area of Russian helicopter export and after-sales servicing.

Chemezov will head Rostec's delegation to the 2016 BRICS Summit.

"The contract for export and joint production of 200 Ka-226T helicopters is one of the key projects in the framework of trade and industrial relations between Russia and India. We plan to expand them in both military-technical and civilian areas," Chemezov said.

Rostec is currently in negotiations with the Defence Ministry here for a long-term contract for after-sales servicing of Russian-made helicopters, which are widely used in India.

"We are expecting to set up an after-sales service in a profoundly new format. There is an array of other projects, where we see perspectives for mutually beneficial cooperation, which we plan to discuss at the BRICS Summit," Chemezov said.