Indian defence companies are heading to Brazil to explore the possibilities of joint production and joint development of various defence weapons and platforms. A delegation of senior officials from the Ministry of Defence, along with representatives of public and private sector companies, will travel to Brazil under the umbrella of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). The delegation will meet with the top leadership of the Brazilian forces and other senior officials, and presentations will be made by the Indian companies before travelling to other locations. The delegation is heading to Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, and Sao Paulo.
Around 10-12 companies, including public and private sector as well as startups from the defence sector, are expected to be part of the delegation. The companies include Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited, Bharat Dynamatics Limited, Bharat Electronics Limited, C2C DB Systems, Centum Electronics, Dhruva Aerospace, GRSE, Larsen & Toubro Limited, Maharashtra Minerals Corporation Limited, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, MKU Limited, Ocean Marine Environment Coatings Pvt Ltd, Pushkak Products Pvt Ltd, and SSS Defence, among others.
The Indian companies will be visiting different facilities of Embraer, one in Sao Jose dos Campos and another in Gavio Paixito. All the private and public sector companies will visit Sao Jose dos Campos, where all Defence Industries are located, and Technology Park too where the Indian companies will make presentations.
There are many countries in the region, including Brazil, that are in the process of modernizing their military and police forces, and this has opened opportunities for the Indian companies to explore the market and identify partners for joint ventures. A government policy is already in place which has a new strategy for the export of defence platforms and weapons to friendly nations.
In 2020, both countries had signed the Plan of Action for the Brazil-India strategic partnership, with defence and security being the main components, as both countries are complementary in this area. Top diplomats, as well as senior officials of Brazil, have expressed their interest to participate in joint ventures in the defence sector.
There is a lot of scope for Indian companies under Brazil’s “Triple-Helix” approach, which is focused on R&D and innovation for all three services – Army, Air Force, and Navy. Indian Ambassador Suresh K Reddy had earlier explained that for Indian companies, Brazil is an attractive destination for investment and joint ventures.
There are some joint ventures between Indian and Brazilian companies. Companhia Brasileira de Cartuchos (CBC) Brazil, the world’s second-largest ammunition manufacturer, and Stumpp Schuele & Somappa India (SSS Defence) are in a joint venture to produce ammunition for all calibers, including 9 mm, 7.62×39 mm, 7.62×51 mm, .338 Lapua and 12.7 mm. And, as per the terms of the joint venture, they can export to a third country after fulfilling India’s requirements. Another Brazilian company, Taurus Armas S.A., has tied up with Jindal Defence for manufacturing small arms.
Both sides have been in discussion for the BrahMos-NG (New Generation) version of the short-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile. Several countries from the region have sought more information about the missile. While he did not specially name the countries, Atul Dinkar Rane DG BrahMos DRDO & CEO & MD BrahMos had confirmed that several countries in the region have expressed interest in the Indo-Russia BrahMos.
