India is organizing a series of webinars with friendly foreign countries to boost defence exports and to achieve the defence export target of $5 billion in the next five years. In this regard, on December 8, 2020, the first webinar between India and Brazil was held on the theme “Indian Defence Industry Global Outreach for Collaborative Partnership: Webinar and Expo”.
- It was organised by Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) under the aegis of the Department of Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Brazilian Association of Defence and Security Materials Industries (ABIMDE).
- During the webinar, it was announced that a high-level delegation from Brazil will visit India in February 2021 for Aero India 2021 which is to be held on February 3-7, 2021 at the Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru (Karnataka.) Aero India is a biennial air show and aviation exhibition.
- The partnership between both countries through joint ventures (JVs), co-development and collaboration in sharing advanced technologies will help both nations to achieve their objective of self-reliance in defence.
–SS-CBC India Ammunition project will Start Operations in August 2021, in Andhra Pradesh.
The Production of ammunition under the JV between Companhia Brasileira de Cartuchos (CBC) Brazil, the world’s second-largest ammunition manufacturer, and Stumpp Schuele & Somappa India (SSS Defence) will be initiated in August 2021. It was announced by the Fernando Saim of CBC
- The joint venture between the two companies was inked in January 2020.
- As of now, no private sector company has manufactured ammunition of military-grade for the small arms.
Key Points:
–CBC will manufacture multiple ammunition and for different calibres including 9 mm, 7.62×39 mm,7.62×51 mm, .338 Lapua and 12.7 mm.
–The ammunition which will be manufactured in India and once the Indian military and para-military forces requirements are fulfilled then it will be exported to other countries.
–CBC will follow Brazil’s “Triple-Helix” which focuses on innovation and R&D (Research & Development) for the army, navy and air force.
India-Brazil Defence Cooperation:
A Plan of Action for the Brazil-India strategic partnership was inked between both nations earlier this year at the end of talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Jair Bolsonaro, who was the Chief Guest at the Republic Day Parade. Notably, the defence and security are central components of the Plan of Action.
- Both countries are cooperating bilaterally and multilaterally through United Nations (UN), Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS), IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa), G20 (Group of Twenty), and International Solar Alliance (ISA).
- There is one more JV between the companies of both nations viz. Brazilian company Taurus Armas S.A., and India’s Jindal Defence. Click Here to Read
- The only Indian company present in Brazil is Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh (UP) based MKU Ltd.
Participants: The webinar was attended by more than 150 delegates and more than 100 virtual exhibition stalls from Indian companies were setup in the Expo.
- Indian companies Tata Aerospace and Defence, SSS Springs, SMPP, MKU Ltd., MDL (Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited), Mahindra Defence Systems, L&T (Larsen & Toubro), Jindal Steel, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), and Ashok Leyland made participated in the webinar.
- Secretary, SEPROD (Secretary for Defense Products) Brazil Marcos Degaut; and senior MoD officials from both sides also participated in the webinar.
Recent Related News:
i.On November 10, 2020 Rahul Chhabra, Secretary (Economic Relations), Ministry of External Affairs, Governmentcof India launched India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) report on ‘Deepening Cooperation in IBSA: Perspectives from Key Sectors’ over a virtual platform from New Delhi, India.
ii.On November 27, 2020, India and Vietnam hold virtual Defence Ministers bilateral talks where India was represented by Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Vietnamese side was represented by General Ngo Xuan Lich, Minister of National Defence of Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
Static Points:
Association of Defence and Security Materials Industries (ABIMDE) President- Dr Roberto Gallo
Indian Ambassador to Brazil– Suresh K Reddy
About Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM):
President– Jayant D Patil
Headquarter– New Delhi
