US arms industry eager to gain foothold in India

Posted on: Apr. 11th, 2006 || Source: today.reuters.com | E-mail Article | Print Article

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. companies are rushing to step up sales of fighter jets and other weapons to India even as the Bush administration struggles to convince Congress to back a landmark civilian nuclear energy deal with India.

"By any standards, this is an attractive market," said Rick Kirkland, a senior executive with No. 1 U.S. defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research), and a frequent visitor to India since 1993, citing the sheer size of the Indian armed forces.

U.S. defense contractors are clearly eager to "get in on the ground floor of the Indian defense market," said Alan Tonelson at the U.S. Business and Industry Council, adding that the nuclear deal had energized efforts that had been under way for some time.

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