The Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) is the not-for-profit apex body representing the domestic aerospace and defence manufacturing industry in India. Founded in 2017, it is headquartered in New Delhi, India. It acts as an advocate, catalyst, and facilitator for capability-building and growth in the defence sector, working closely with the Indian government. MembershipContinue reading “The Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers – One-Stop Place for the Defence Industry in India”
Category Archives: Geopolitics & Strategy
Why India is Sceptical About the USA Entering Its Fighter Aircraft Ecosystem: Lockheed’s C-130J May Win, But Its F-35s & Rebranded F-16s Remain a Question Mark
US-India bilateral relations evolved dramatically after 2000, driven by shared concerns over global terrorism and China’s unprecedented rise. The U.S. is India’s largest export market, accounting for roughly 20 per cent of total Indian goods exports, amounting to nearly $97–$100 billion annually, despite recent tensions with the Trump administration over trade and tariffs. The U.S.Continue reading “Why India is Sceptical About the USA Entering Its Fighter Aircraft Ecosystem: Lockheed’s C-130J May Win, But Its F-35s & Rebranded F-16s Remain a Question Mark”
Why India is Sceptical About the USA Entering Its Fighter Aircraft Ecosystem
After 2000, US-India security and defence engagement shifted from post-nuclear estrangement to a deep strategic partnership. Driven by post-9/11 counter-terrorism and a shared concern over China’s rise, defence trade surged from near-zero to over $22 billion, supported by foundational military agreements and joint Indo-Pacific frameworks. The United States and India are the world’s oldest andContinue reading “Why India is Sceptical About the USA Entering Its Fighter Aircraft Ecosystem”
Why China Pulled Ahead of India in Fighter Jet Engine Race Despite Both Nations Starting in the Mid-1980s? OPED
China has quietly achieved what few others have managed — fitting its J-20 stealth fighters with fully indigenous engines, while India remains far behind despite both nations starting their jet engine programmes around the mid-1980s. After years of development, Beijing’s WS-15 is now in serial production and powers the stealth J-20 aircraft. This is aContinue reading “Why China Pulled Ahead of India in Fighter Jet Engine Race Despite Both Nations Starting in the Mid-1980s? OPED”
How the Sukhoi Design Bureau Overtook the Great Mikoyan Design Bureau
During the Cold War, the Mikoyan-Gurevich (MiG) design bureau held a monopoly on frontline fighters (like the MiG-21 and MiG-29), while the Sukhoi Design Bureau (Sukhoi) specialized in strike aircraft. Sukhoi seems to have surpassed the legendary MiG pack due to the massive success of the Su-27 “Flanker” family. Mikoyan’s financial struggles following the SovietContinue reading “How the Sukhoi Design Bureau Overtook the Great Mikoyan Design Bureau”
F414 “Trap”: After 3X Price Hike, Why Swapping U.S. GE Engines for India’s Tejas Mk-2 & AMCA Won’t Be Easy
Commercial negotiations for the GE F414 engine, selected to power India’s Tejas Mk-2 and the initial variants of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), have hit a serious roadblock. Despite an earlier agreement on technology transfer, GE Aerospace has sharply escalated its price demands — nearly tripling the per-unit cost. Initial estimates had put theContinue reading “F414 “Trap”: After 3X Price Hike, Why Swapping U.S. GE Engines for India’s Tejas Mk-2 & AMCA Won’t Be Easy”
India’s Defence Budget – Priority Atmanirbharta – A Comprehensive Look
The Finance Minister of India presented the Union Budget 2026-27 on 01 Feb 2026. The total annual national budget stood at Rs 53,47,314 crore, marking a steady increase from the Rs 50,65,345 crore projected in the previous year. She allocated a historic Rs 7.85 lakh crore to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), up 15.19 percentContinue reading “India’s Defence Budget – Priority Atmanirbharta – A Comprehensive Look”
IAF Chief in France – Likely Contours of the Rafale Deal
Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh was on an important four-day visit to France to advance the mega ₹3.25 lakh crore ($39 billion) deal to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets. This visit came immediately after the Indian Defence Ministry issued a formal Letter of Request (LoR) to the French government.Continue reading “IAF Chief in France – Likely Contours of the Rafale Deal”
PM Modi Visits Japan – Strategic Congruence of Two Major Asian Countries
PM Modi will travel to Japan on August 30, where he will participate in the 17th annual India-Japan Summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. It will be PM Modi’s 8th visit to this strategically important friend of India. The only countries he has made a large number of visits to are the USA (10),Continue reading “PM Modi Visits Japan – Strategic Congruence of Two Major Asian Countries”
PM Modi Visits Israel – As the two Nations Continue to Strengthen the Unshakable Aerospace Bond
Prime Minister Modi concluded a two-day visit to Israel that started February 25, 2026, his second trip in eight years. He addressed the Knesset (parliament) amid an unprecedented deepening of ties despite attempts to isolate the Jewish state globally, especially by Europe, and growing tensions in its relations with China. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuContinue reading “PM Modi Visits Israel – As the two Nations Continue to Strengthen the Unshakable Aerospace Bond “