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India's $15 billion fighter jet deal faces delay - not for the first time

While India wants to upgrade its fleet, there's one big road block: New Delhi's famed red tape

French aircraft Rafale manoeuvres during the inauguration of the 12th edition of AERO India 2019 air show at Yelahanka airbase in Bengaluru, Wednesday (Photo: PTI)
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French aircraft Rafale manoeuvres during the inauguration of the 12th edition of AERO India 2019 air show at Yelahanka airbase in Bengaluru, Wednesday (Photo: PTI)

Anurag Kotoky and Iain Marlow | Bloomberg
In the world of multibillion-dollar defence contracts, India stands out.

Home to one of the biggest armed forces on the planet, the country has an uneasy co-existence with neighbors Pakistan and China. Its rapidly aging fighter jets make it a lucrative potential prize for the likes of Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing Co. While India wants to upgrade its fleet, there’s one big road block: New Delhi’s famed red tape.

The country -- the world’s biggest arms importer, with an annual defense budget of $43 billion -- has been dangling a potential $15 billion fighter jet deal for more than a decade,