For the Indian Army’s Rs 1 lakh-crore (about $11 billion) futuristic infantry combat vehicle (FICV) programme, Indian companies are reaching out to foreign partners for forming consortia to build and design the vehicle. Defence PSU Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and private sector companies Tata Power, Tata Motors, Larsen & Toubro, Mahindra, Rolta, Pipavav, Bharat Forge, Punj Lloyd and Titagarh Wagons are approaching global giants, including US-based Oshkosh Corporation, Lockheed Martin, AM General, General Dynamics, BAE Systems, Rosoboronexport (Russia), Rafael (Israel), Nexter and Thales (France), Krauss-MaffeiWegmann (Germany) and Doosan Group of Korea. According to sources in the army, the Indians companies have 90 days (from mid July) to respond to the expression of interest (EoI) with detailed proposals which involve forming consortia with Indian and foreign vendors, and conceiving and proposing the design of an FICV that would best suit the army’s requirements. The Indian comp...