SAAB, a Swedish based automobile manufacturer, is looking forward to conducting meetings with the Indian companies this month, to develop the Indian ecosystem to build the multi-role fighter aircraft

In April 2018, the Indian Air Force announced an initial tender or Request for Information (RFI) for the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA). SAAB, being one among the global defence manufacturers to acquire the bid, replied in response to the IAF's initial tender in July 2018 with it's Gripen E MRFA.

According to sources, Mats Palmberg, VP Industrial Partnership, SAAB, has confirmed that the company has already conducted surveys for Aero-Structures parts, which include sub-assemblies, machined, and sheet metal parts. He also said that SAAB is in constant talk with its international partners and suppliers and the Indian companies.

"The industry evaluation tour will take place for 10 days in mid-October. A dozen Indian SMEs suitable for systems manufacturing will be met by a team consisting of different SAAB companies, international system suppliers headed by members of the Gripen for India team, " states Mats, on the sideline of India Sweden Innovation Day.

"Some discussions have resulted in MoUs with a mutual intention to work together on a broader basis in defence and also in the execution phase of the Gripen E program in India," he adds.

Along with the fighter jets, SAAB is also intending to offer the comprehensive transfer of capability packages focused on building indigenous capabilities to design, develop, produce and maintain a modern state of the art fighter system platform.

"The build-up of those capabilities will require substantial investments from the Indian as well as from international partners. Investments will need to be made in facilities, training, machinery, etc.," concludes Mats.