US seeks pathfinder projects to boost defence ties with India

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's US visit, Pentagon has sought inputs from American industry to identify "pathfinder" projects that could be part of the next phase of exclusive co-development and co-production of high-tech defence items with India.
During Obama's historic trip to India this January, India and the US had announced six projects as part of its ambitious Defence Trade and Technology Initiative (DTII), which officials say have the potential to transform the nature of Indo-US defence relationship.
"These pathfinders represent the modest beginning of a relationship that we expect to grow and deepen in the months and years ahead," Under Secretary of Defence Frank Kendall, who is the US-lead for DTTI, wrote in a recent letter to US industry last month, urging them to come up with proposals and ideas for ambitious and path-finding projects by the end of August.

In his letter, a copy of which has been obtained by PTI, Kindall assured the American industry that the Obama Administration and the Pentagon in particular would work to remove all bureaucratic hurdles in the US to fast track the implementation of those projects if it is taken up by India.
"I encourage industry partners to continue identifying opportunities that offer exclusive co-development and/or co-production in India, meet expressed Indian interest, including 'Make in India' and have potential for global market sales," he wrote.
Kendall, who has made several trips to India after being assigned with the task by Defence Secretary Ashton Carter, plans to review all these proposals in early September and submit to his Indian counterparts before Prime Minister Modi travels to the US in the last week of September.

Modi is coming to the US to primarily attend the 70th annual session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York and address a massive gathering of Indian Americans in the Silicon Valley on September 27. While officials remain tight-lipped about it, President Barack Obama and Modi are expected to meet in New York.