NEW DELHI — The Indian army has decided to buy 20 Cheetal helicopters and associated equipment from state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) to fill a serious need for the multirole aircraft. “We have signed a contract worth [$77 million] with the defense ministry to supply 20 Cheetals to the army over the next four years, besides providing training to its pilots and technical crew,” a HAL spokesman said.

After almost 15 years since the idea was raised, India will create a new aviation regulatory body to oversee the troubled airline sector, monitor aviation safety issues and take steps to modernize more airports and air traffic management services.

NEW DELHI — India will take a “second look” at its policies on defense production and procurement to lessen reliance on imported weapons and avoid controversies such as the bribery scandal surrounding the AW101 helicopter deal with Finmeccanica subsidiary AgustaWestland. Defense Minister A.K. Antony is urging defense forces to transform their approach of relying on imports to meet operational requirements and instead give priority to indigenization in the defense sector.