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India is looking to update its airports and airspace to accommodate the expected growth in airline fleet and domestic passenger traffic. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has plans to upgrade procedures, training, and infrastructure to prepare for future growth. The AAI has released a Detailed Project Report for the Indian Single Sky Harmonized Air Traffic Management at Nagpur (ISHAN) and is currently accepting bids for the project. India is one of the fastest-growing air passenger markets globally, and the government aims to create a $20 trillion economy in the civil aviation sector by 2047. [Extracted from the article]

The article highlights the inauguration of India's longest sea crossing, the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, spanning 22 kilometers and connecting Mumbai, India to a satellite city on the mainland.

This article reports that India has become another major market in the Asia-Pacific mix thanks to the confluence of its economy and a workforce skilled in computing, science and manufacturing. At last year's Paris air show, its airlines signed up for 140 new aircraft. Morgan Stanley analysts Heidi Wood and Greg Alexopoulos are skeptical about the groundswell of these growth plans, but there's no denying India's promise. For the aerospace industry, an even more important India-specific shift is underway. After decades of a U.S. boycott over its nuclear development program, warmer trade and defense relations have been established, as witnessed by a scheduled visit from U.S. President George W. Bush this month, and India is opening its industry and military contracts to foreign participation as never before.

The article reports on India's aviation sector. Once straitjacketed by bureaucratic hurdles and little imagination, India's aviation sector is on a roll. With a middle class of 200 million people--20% of the total population--and an economy that grew 8.2% in 2004, India's demand for aviation is expected to outstrip China's in a decade. The key is price stimulation from a demand perspective. India is attracting aviation investment. The Center for Asia Pacific Aviation says 10-12 aircraft are currently grounded for lack of pilots and estimates that India will need up to 4,000 more pilots over the next five years.

The article presents information about India's space program. India is pushing its largely indigenous space industry into the international arena as buyer, seller and potential exploration partner. Blocked by sanctions and diplomacy from collaborating on space projects, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has developed a sophisticated indigenous space infrastructure to meet its needs. India has a highly successful commercial deal with Space Imaging of the U.S. to market lower-resolution imagery from its Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) system, which has included several ISRO satellites and sensors since the deal was struck a decade ago.

This article asserts that Asian carriers are finding that hedging is not a good thing as they fight the remorseless rise in fuel prices. Their profits under siege, they are exploring downsizing and eliminating profitless routes to cut costs. From China across Asia to India, the region is witnessing a surge in startups, with more in the offing. The newcomers will face belligerent markets smarting under the pressure of high oil prices. Another tactic for network carriers is to shift routes to their subsidiaries to better match equipment with demand.

The article presents information about India's space research program. A case is cited in the article, according to which India's first geostationary communications satellite loaded on a bullock cart. the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) pressed the cart into service when it needed a non-metallic mobile platform for electromagnetic interference and compatibility tests. Now India's satellite builders proudly claim state-of-the-art status for some of their spacecraft and ground facilities, and are making space and power available for foreign scientists on their planned Chandrayaan-1 lunar orbiter.

The article highlights that India's aviation business has rebound to pre-pandemic levels, with startup airlines and new routes on the way; and mentions that government has an ambitious goal of developing 220 new airports by 2025.

The article presents information on the EMB-145 airborne early warning system aircraft being designed and built by Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica (Embraer) for India's air force. The aircraft's use of an active array antenna designed by India's Defense Research and Development Organization is discussed. The author also comments on the remote-sensing capabilities of the aircraft which inspired the EMB-145.

The article examines the procurement process for a military jet airplane by India's Defense Ministry. The ministry has told aerospace industries firm bidding on the lucrative contract that they must enter new bids, driving up their costs. Previous delays in the process of awarding the contract are discussed. Defense Minister A. K. Antony cites the need for caution in public expenditures.

The article offers information on failed space technology programs in Asia. Three recent examples of which are the KSLV-1 launch vehicle of South Korea, the Chandrayaan-1 lunar orbiter of India and the Indonesian telecom satellite. South Korea is currently collaborating with Russia to determine what caused its aircraft to fail during fairing separation.

The article focuses on the impact of the elections in India in 2009 on the country's aerospace industry. The election of members of the Congress Party in India has led to the return of its majority rule and is deemed to open up bureaucratic difficulties in the country. The country was previously led by the Communist Left Party, which opposed Western politics and blocked India's military acquisition programs. However, multiple delays are still expected in the country.

The article reports on the plan of India to test fly the baseline variant of its Kaveri turbofan engine on a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 testbed within the next 3-4 months, even as it prepares to effectively re-launch the engine, drawing on Snecma's M88 core to improve overall performance. The Kaveri is India's entrée into the combat aircraft turbofan market, but the drawn-out development has yet to provide a engine for the originally intended platform, the Light Combat Aircraft, or Tejas, according to the authors.

This article reports on the bids for the 126-aircraft acquisition project of the Indian air force. Among the six bidders, some believe a downselect may yet occur. The acquisition is at the heart of a broad modernization program for the air force, and it is a key element of efforts to rationalize the disparate fighter fleet. Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major, chief of the air staff, said the aim is to reduce combat aircraft types.

This article reports on the negotiations between the Indian defense ministry and European Aeronautics Defence and Space Co. (EADS) to codevelop an active electronically scanned array radar. The negotiations are part of a wider effort-including re-engining-to revamp India's Light Combat Aircraft. The company has already been picked by the defense ministry to provide technical support for the LCA, including flight-test and engineering work on its planned upgrade.

The article reports on the seventh biennial Aero India exhibition held in Bangalore, India in February 2009. It states that the number of Indian firms participating in the trade show is up by 14% to 592. The U.S. occupy the most exhibition space in the 2009 show with 22 companies. Some foreign exhibitors are eager to demonstrate their willingness to work with the Indians, but they are frustrated with India's laws such as the 26% cap on the amount of equity that they may hold in Indian firms.

The article reports on the decision of India to purchase Boeing P-8 Poseidon long-range maritime reconnaissance and antisubmarine warfare aircraft. The decision came when the country was struck by terrorist attacks from the sea in November 2008 and it opens the door to a major advance in its maritime patrol capabilities. India's navy is to receive the first of eight P-8I aircraft within 48 months of the formal contract signing.

The article reports that Dassault expects the Rafale to gain an edge in a competition to build 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft for India's Air Force. The advantage was due to the decision of the French government to clear its aerospace and defense industries to make technology transfers of all systems. The Rafale will not be subjected to the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which restrict transfer of advanced technology abroad.

The article reports on the decision of India to not apply its offset policy to its Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft bids from six European, Russian and U.S. suppliers. The contenders to make 126 new fighters to replace the Indian air force's aging MiG-21s are the EADS Eurofighter, Saab JAS 39 Gripen, Mikoyan MiG-35, Boeing F/A-18E/F, Lockheed Martin F-16 and Dassault Rafale. The contract is expected to be worth $12 billion, with the winner committed to achieving a 50% offset in the value of the contract through investments in India.

The article reports that Boeing is remaining positive on its outlook for India's airline industry despite the saturation of flights in the country. According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the growth rate of domestic air services has shrunk to 8% in June 2008 and is expected to enter negative territory as the year progresses. However, Boeing Senior Vice President and India specialist Dinesh Keskar asserts the 20-year forecast for India is strong enough to support a need for 1,001 new aircraft.

The article reports that India will formally request government funding for a human space mission within seven years as it continues to push its spaceflight capabilities in the civil and military arenas. With China moving ahead on preparations for its third human launch, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will ask the government to approve a human spaceflight mission by 2014 to 2015. The project is expected to cost $2.5 billion. The Space Commission headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will review the request of the ISRO.

The article focuses on the merger activity of airlines based in India. It was the merger of the two government-owned carriers, Air India and Indian, that started the consolidation trend as Jet Airways, Air Sahara and Kingfisher Airlines followed suit by picking up a stake in Air Deccan. More mergers and acquisitions may follow. For instance, budget airline SpiceJet is getting investor support from the Tata Group and Dubai's Istithmar.

The article looks at the merger and acquisition (M&A) activities in the Indian airline industry. It lists some of the challenges facing the airline industry including poor infrastructure, labor shortages, low domestic yields and unsustainable losses. It mentions some industry M&A deals including the acquisition of budget carrier Air Deccan by Kingfisher Airlines and the consolidation of Jet Airways and Air Sahara. It also cites the rapid growth of India's airline industry.

This article reports on the decision of India's Aviation Corporation Program to support air traffic and air space management initiatives to help improve the country's air traffic infrastructure. The program was established by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. According to administrator Marion Blakey, the program is supported by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. It will be a mechanism for Indian aviation officials to work with their U.S. counterparts.

The article reports on the growth of India's airfreight industry as of May 2007. India's 9% annual economic growth and consumer appetite are paving the way for the growth according to the article. Airports Authority of India has reported that air cargo movements reached 1.4 million metric tons in 2006. A contract for four 777Fs was signed with Flyington Freighters in 2006. The industry employed more than 1 million people and handled more than 1.25 billion shipments in 2005.

The article focuses on the efforts taken by Thales for securing contracts in India's expanding defense and civil aviation markets. Thales have sought the intervention of French President Jacques Chirac after Indian press reported that Thales have illegally used middlemen to win a contract to supply the Indian navy with six Scorpene submarines. Thales also wants the government to act as a guarantor for it's bid to upgrade 52 Indian air force Mirage 2000 fighters.

This article reports that air traffic is growing rapidly at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India and Sensis Corp. of the U.S. is providing one of the first surface movement surveillance systems to help air traffic controllers. The Advanced-Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (A-SMGCS) being installed at the New Delhi airport is a fully integrated system that can fuse data from a variety of sensors to display to controllers the position of an aircraft on the airport's surface to an accuracy within 7.5 meters. A-SMGCS takes input from a Raytheon ASR-10 secondary surveillance radar and a new X-band surface surveillance radar provided by Sensis as part of the new system installation.

The article informs that India's nascent commercial space-launch industry could get a boost under new bilateral agreements that should clear U.S. export-control roadblocks for spacecraft and their components. The agreement signed by U.S. President George W. Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh makes civil space cooperation a significant aspect of the emerging high-technology and strategic cooperation between the two nations. An upcoming robotic Indian mission to the Moon already has benefited from the relaxation in relations that culminated in Bush's visit to New Delhi and Hyderabad in March.

The article informs that India plans to upgrade airports in secondary cities to cope with surging air traffic. In India, where airlines have boosted their seat capacity tenfold in just three years, rickety aviation infrastructure is splitting at the seams. India's Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has outlined an ambitious $12.5-billion plan to upgrade 35 secondary airports by 2009 to ease pressure on facilities at New Delhi and Mumbai, which now handle nearly 50% of all domestic traffic. Earlier this month, Patel faced down 22,000 union workers on strike to protest government plans to privatize the Delhi and Mumbai airports to pay for modernizations.

This article reports that with India moving fast to become a major weapons buyer, U.S. companies used the growing partnership and trust between the two countries to dominate Defexpo, the biennial exposition on naval and land systems held in New Delhi, India in January 2006. So large was the U.S. presence that traditional ally Russia, which has supplied nearly 75% of India's military arsenal for decades, was relegated to third place, after the U.S. and Israel. India's interest in purchasing up to 200 Multi-role Combat Aircraft, helicopters, transports and medium-sized ships is turning attention to its newly introduced offset policy.

This article reports that Air India Engineering Services, a new subsidiary of Air India set to be operational by year-end, wants to tap third-party airframe and engine work in India, as the relatively modest fleet of 215 commercial aircraft is expected to more than double by the end of the decade. The government-owned airline required offsets for the recent aircraft deal it signed with Boeing for 737s, 777s and 787s. While the structure of the offsets is still being discussed, the commitment for a new maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility could reach $100 million, according to an engineering department official. As an alternative, Boeing is offering to help Air India develop a training center instead of an MRO facility.

This article focuses on current developments in the Indian aerospace industry. It is worth noting that competitive pressures are driving many aerospace companies to tap India's high-end engineering services. However, India's newest emerging offerings are aeronautical system design, testing services, cockpit equipment support software and composite structuring. With its highly skilled English-speaking labor pool, low costs and economic growth, India is quickly moving up the value chain as aircraft manufacturers look at less expensive options. Additionally, the country's experience in providing outsourcing of large-scale, process-centric information technology and its access to high technology through global alliances make it an attractive destination for engineering services.

The article reports that passenger counts at Indian airports are expected to jump 2.5 times in the next five years--to 50 million from 19 million--as a booming economy and new low-cost carriers stimulate demand. They will step into airports plagued by bureaucratic wrangling that delays construction. The Center for Asia Pacific Aviation, a Sydney-based consultancy with an office in India, estimates India must spend $20 billion in public and private investment over the next decade if it's to keep pace with the growth spiral. Just last month, lenders and shareholders signed a $325-million agreement for a greenfield international airport in Bangalore, the south-central city that's become India's "Silicon Valley."

This article reports that the heat generated by Airbus Inc.' very public verbal torrent following Air-India's order of 20 Boeing 787s and 23 777s embarrassed Indian officials and has yet to subside. Airbus officials sent a letter to Indian officials arguing that Boeing's mid-sized jets were put on a fast-track approval process by Air-India, circumventing the competition's stated technical requirements and leaving Airbus' new A350 proposal out of the running. Airbus' protests over the Air-India Boeing 777/787 deal began when Vice President Nigel Harwood, who heads its India operations, immediately called for an independent inquiry within a day of the announcement.

The article reports that tax changes and high leasing costs are presenting Indian airlines with some difficult decisions. With a September 30, 2005 deadline for tax-free leasing of aircraft fast approaching, Indian carriers are facing tough choices because they cannot find enough aircraft to meet expansion plans. Airline officials estimate the industry needs to lease 35-40 aircraft this year, but few are available at expected prices. Widebodies are most in demand. Startups in particular are concerned that the timing of their expansion plans will be thrown irremediably off.

The article reports on the reaction of India to the Pakistani F-16 deal with the United States. A U.S. announcement that it will supply Pakistan with Lockheed Martin F-16s met a pro-forma objection by India because of separate talks it has opened with the U.S. on acquiring key fighter and nuclear technology. The U.S. government's approval for American companies to compete in India's search for 126 combat aircraft has opened the door for the F/A-18. The fact that U.S. combat aircraft manufacturers are being included broadens the competition beyond India's more traditional Russian and French suppliers.

This article reports that as critics in Russia and India voice doubts, officials of the Russian Aircraft Corp. MiG insist the MiG-29K naval fighter program for the Indian navy will stay on schedule for deliveries starting in 2007. The 12 single-seat MiG-29Ks and four -29KUB two-seat combat trainers were ordered by the Indian navy a year ago as part of the $1.5-billion Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier deal. Renamed the Vikramaditya, the carrier is being retrofitted in Russia. The fighter deliveries will run through 2009 and include options for 30 additional aircraft.

This article reports that Indian military wants the nation's aerospace command to be fast-tracked, even as the Indian Space Research Organisation insists it should concentrate only on civil programs. Air Chief Marshal Shashindra Pal Tyagi stated that the Indian air force is always interested in aerospace and is a natural progression for the country. It is also reported that an internal report submitted by the Indian air force calls for the formation of an aerospace command, ground support infrastructure and surveillance centers by year-end, with force enhancement by 2010 and an aerospace defense command, space support capability, system integration and missile defense capability by 2015.

This article focuses on foreign relations between India and Russia. As Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf visited Washington last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed 10 agreements with India spanning space, defense and aviation. After more than a year of talks with the European Union on investment in the Galileo GPS system, India added a new twist to global satellite navigation by formally agreeing to participate in the Russian Glonass system. Although India has been shopping for weapons systems from Israel, the U.S., Britain and France, nearly 75% of its military hardware is provided by Russia.

The article focuses on India's growing feeder-airline market. Domestic travel, propelled by the low air fares of budget carriers flying to secondary airports, has expanded the market for turboprops in India, presenting opportunities for companies such as Toulouse, France-based turboprop manufacturer, ATR. ATR is prepared to set up training and outsourcing facilities in India. With traveler numbers growing, the time seems ripe, according to ATR CEO Filippo Bagnato. The more mature Indian market is better prepared than China for the development of regional connections, adds Bagnato.

The article presents information about an interview with Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Kalam says that personally he would like to go to Mars, but fears that he would be 90 years old by the time India is ready to take off from the Sriharikota Range. Kalam concedes India must work with the rest of the international space-faring community to make his vision a reality. He says that there can be no lasting peace in the world if only the developed nations are technologically and economically advanced.

The article presents information about India' new satellite launch complex (launch pad) at Bay of Bengal, India. This pad can be adjusted to launch two very different rockets, i.e., the Geostationary Space Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and the Polar Space Launch Vehicle, as well as a GSLV upgrade that managers here hope will soon be orbiting payloads that once might have been launched from Florida or French Guiana. The GSLV is three for three off the pad, launching three satellites in a row without a hitch.

This article focuses on the fact that India can proceed with her space program without foreign aid and help. Missile proliferation concerns and the U.S. imposed sanctions after India's 1998 nuclear tests have forced ISRO to develop technology that in earlier days they might have acquired abroad, including from the U.S. Announcement of the new policy was greeted skeptically by senior space officials, including Indian President Abdul Kalam, who was elected by the Indian parliament after a long and distinguished career at ISRO and later, as part of India's defense research establishment.

Snecma SA and Turbomeca SA's Larzac engine was considered a shoo-in for India's new HJT-36 trainer, but circumstances now indicate otherwise. India has placed a $200-million order for Russia's AL-55 engine for the intermediate jet trainer being built by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. A contract award is expected by August following India's national elections. The AL-55 decision surprised many in the Indian aerospace community precisely because the AL-55 has yet to be developed. But it underscores how closely India is participating in the development of Russian technology, the highest profile example being India's backing of the Su-30MKI fighter.

EADS executives are predicting that 20% of the European conglomerate's total sales will come from the Asia-Pacific region within five years and 30% by 2015. The company's Asia-Pacific strategy rests on a higher profile for India, partly due to the prospect for local sales, but also because EADS wants to tap into a high-quality, low-cost labor pool. The India push is likely to follow the path EADS has already taken in China, where it concluded a broad cooperation agreement with the state-owned AVIC II aircraft manufacturing group late last year.

The completion of a long-anticipated $1.5-billion agreement to acquire the 44,000-ton aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov from Russia will give India a regional advantage because the ship comes equipped with 46 MiG-29K naval fighters and eight Ka-28 antisubmarine and Ka-31 early warning helicopters. The MiG-29Ks will be equipped with fly-by-wire digital flight controls and an open architecture avionics suite built around the Zhuk-M phased-array radar and optronics sensor package. The purchase is India's second largest weapons import.

The successful launch of an advanced Indian remote-sensing satellite was a reminder that China is not the only Asian country with outsize space ambitions. Designed primarily for agricultural and disaster management applications, the 1,360-kg., $47-million spacecraft is the most advanced and heaviest of the eight IRS-series remote-sensing satellites launched by the Indian Space Research Organization so far. It is also the first in a new series of dedicated Earth-observation satellites aimed at replacing the existing fleet — considered a key part of agricultural and public safety infrastructure — and bolstering India's growing role in the imaging business. Together, these spacecraft form one of the largest constellation of remote-sensing satellites in space today, on a par with the European Spot and U.S. Landsat networks.

Bringing to an apparent end years of protracted negotiations, India has finally approved purchase of the BAE Systems Hawk advanced jet trainer, a deal worth $1.3 billion. The decision to acquire the Hawk concludes India's tortuous efforts to find a replacement for its obsolete Hindustan Aeronautics HJT-16 Kiran and Polish PZL-11 Iskra. The selection reflects the government's intention to remain strategically independent of a single-supplier state, and to attempt to address increasingly strident domestic clamoring over air force attrition rates. BAE has been in extended negotiations with India over the sale, while Russian and other European jet-trainer manufacturers attempted to thwart the deal.

Reports that the lifting of the U.S. sanction has prompted the Indian defense officials to seek further foreign manufacturing partners to develop a military industrial base. Objectives outlined at the country's fourth international exhibition, Aero India; U.S. participation drawn by the event; Countries that are looking to invest in India; Reasons in favor of foreign participation in Indian ventures.

Focuses on the decision of Indian airlines Air-India to speed up the modernization of its fleet to counter the steady decline in its market share of outbound international traffic since 1995. Approval of a plan to acquire longhaul aircrafts; Approval of the plan by the AI board on being pressurized by the Indian transportation ministry; Plans for acquisition of medium-capacity regional aircraft.