Sweden offers joint development of jets, submarines to India

NEW DELHI: Keen to cast off the ghost of the Bofors kickbacks scam, Sweden has proposed new avenues of defence cooperation to India, including joint development of jet fighters and submarines.

"The Swedish government is proposing to invest in Gripen fighters and is keen that India too take a investment stake in jointly developing these new generation fighters," visiting Swedish Vice Minister for Defence H G Wessburg said.

Gripen is one of six jets vying for India's biggest ever global tender worth over Rs 42,000 crore (10 billion dollars) for the purchase of 126 fighter aircraft.
  
Gripen is made by Swedish major SAAB International, which recently made its first overseas sales of the jet to South Africa and some European nations.
    
"Stockholm's offer is not related to the Indian Air Force's request for proposals (RFP)," Wessburg told, affirming that Sweden wanted broad-based cooperation in defence research and development.