NEW DELHI — The Indian Ordnance Factories board has begun augmentation projects to meet the increasing demand for armored vehicles, spare parts and other equipment for the armed forces. “Augmentation projects worth about 10 billion rupees ($224 million) [for] mine-protected vehicles, armored vehicle engines, T-72 tank variants [and] spares for T-72 overhauls are being executed,” a defense ministry official says.

NEW DELHI — India is slowly shifting its allegiance from its traditional arms suppliers in Russia toward other European firms. The country last month rejected Russia’s bid to sell India its MiG-35 fighter jets in the largest arms tender of this century. India also declined Boeing and Lockheed Martin’s bids for the $11 billion Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft contract. The final contenders to deliver 126 jets are the Rafale, made by France’s Dassault Aviation, and the Eurofighter Typhoon.

India’s aviation sector is looking at an investment of $30 billion in the next 15 years to meet growing passenger and cargo traffic. “In India, 12 greenfield airports are currently being developed, as the country’s unique geographical position offers an opportunity to become a global hub for airlines. A total of 142 million passengers checked in and out of airports across the country during 2010-11, marking a growth of 15% over the previous year,” says Aviation Secretary Nasim Zaidi.