Defence deal a historic agreement between India & US, says Midhani

Mumbai : Major headway being made in India-US defence ties as India and the US inked a landmark defence pact, the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-Spatial Cooperation (BECA). This agreement will expand geospatial information sharing between armed forces and signals further boosting of bilateral defence and military ties between the two countries.

The signing of the long-negotiated Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) during the third edition of the 2+2 dialogue between the two strategic partners also External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held the talks with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Mark T Esper.

ET NOW spoke to Dr SK Jha, CMD, MIDHANI (Mishra Dhatu Nigam) to understand what these ties mean for the defence sector and the company. Jha said over the last few years India-US relations in defence have increased significantly. “The 2+2 dialogue between India and the US is a historic agreement between the two countries at a time when we are seeing a challenging time from the neighbouring countries.”

Jha believes that this pact will enable India to use US intelligence and defence systems which will have real-time data and information and help India’s military capabilities. “The progress in talks between the two countries indicates that Maritime Information Sharing Technical Agreement (MISTA) will be signed soon and the US will help India with the exchange of information and technology in defence.” US-India relations improving will strengthen the manufacturing capabilities of the company and will enhance capabilities and work on enhancing production capabilities according to Jha.