Last Updated: June 22, 2023, 06:05 IST
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lawrence Culp, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of General Electric (GE). (Image: MEA)
The discussions, which were held before bilateral with President Joe Biden, Prime Minister appreciated GE for its long-term commitment to manufacturing in India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday invited Lawrence Culp, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of General Electric (GE), to play a bigger role in India’s aviation and renewable energy sector.
In the discussions, which were held before Modi’s bilateral with President Joe Biden, Prime Minister appreciated GE for its long-term commitment to manufacturing in India.
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“PM @narendramodi held useful discussions with CEO of @generalelectric H. Lawrence Culp, Jr. PM appreciated GE for its long-term commitment of manufacturing in India and called for GE’s greater technology collaborations in India. PM invited GE to play a bigger role in India’s aviation and renewable energy sector,” Arindam Bagchi, Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said in a tweet.
The meeting comes as the Biden administration is poised to sign off on a deal that would allow General Electric Co to produce jet engines powering Indian military aircraft in that country, according to a report by Reuters.
A deal finalizing the joint production of the engines is expected to be inked and announced by the time President Joe Biden hosts Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an official state visit.
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The White House, which said in January that it had received the application to jointly produce the engines in India, declined to comment.
Washington is working to deepen ties with the world’s largest democracy and sees deeper military-to-military and technology ties with New Delhi.
India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) had previously said it planned to use the GE-manufactured 414 engine on a second generation of light-combat aircraft and that it was in talks over domestic production of those engines.
The deal is not finalized and also requires notification to the U.S. Congress, according to two of the people briefed on the arrangement. Washington maintains strict controls over what domestic military technology can be shared or sold to other countries.
A broader joint partnership between the United States and India announced earlier this year is designed to encourage companies from both countries to collaborate, especially on military equipment and cutting-edge technology.
(With agency inputs)
