India will soon sign a bilateral agreement on aviation safety with the U.S., thereby opening a market for export of aeronautical products to the U.S. and other regions of the world. “The Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement will open up huge potential for investment. It will also usher in mutual acceptance of aeronautical products and parts developed in either country,” says Dr. Nasim Zaidi, secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation.

NEW DELHI — As India prepares to spend nearly $100 billion over the next decade on the modernization of its armed forces, Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony is warning suppliers and vendors of stringent action against corruption in defense deals. “The government will not hesitate to take extreme steps if it detects corruption in an acquisition process, even if the process is at its last stage of completion,” Antony says. The Indian defense industry has been plagued by allegations of corruption and mismanagement for years.

India plans to ease foreign pilots out of the country’s aviation sector within two years, paving the way for the recruiting of more local pilots even though experts feel it will not be feasible in the rapidly growing industry. “The deadline set for the foreign pilots to leave India is December 2013. We hope by then India can do without foreign pilots,” says E.K. Bharat Bhushan, head of the country’s airline regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).