The Hindu Business Line : L&T looks for tie-up with Israeli cos in defence and water treatment

Recently in Tel Aviv The $5.1-billion Larsen & Toubro Limited, a technology, engineering and construction and manufacturing company, is in talks with 6-7 Israeli companies fortie-ups in water technology and defence.

Talking to Business Line here on the sidelines of an Indo-Israeli Joint Business Forum meeting held recently, the company’s Joint General Manager and Head of Marine Business and International Defence Business, Commodore (Rtd) Mr Mukesh Bhargava, said L&T saw defence as “a focus area and we need to develop our business” with the Govt opening up this sector for private participation in India.

He said Israel is one of the major supplier of defence equipment to India. “We have been talking to quite a few industries for a possible collaboration…I think the partnership with Israeli defence industry is only going to foster the strength in the Indian private defence industry, which will make the defence industry in India self-reliant.”

Mr Bhargava said Israel was strong in night vision technology, electro optical devices and electronic warfare.“They remain focus areas for us.”

He said L&T’s partnership with the defence sector started in mid-1980s when India launched Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) and Pinaka Artillery Rocket Programme, followed by navy’s thrust on indigenisation in the early 90s.

Mr Bhargava said L&T has evolved as a major partner of the DRDO (Defence Research Development Organisation) and the Indian Navy, and the company has industrial licences for design, development and manufacture of systems and sub-systems associated with warships, submarines and weapon platforms, radar, sonar and EW systems, combat vehicles and airborne assemblies, UAVs and helicopters.

According to Mr Bhargava,Israel is one of the major suppliers of defence equipment to India and their system has been in use for quite some time. “Our armed forces are quite comfortable with Israeli system. I see a lot of scope for doing business with Israeli defence industry, more so in the present context when our government has taken a decision to open up defence sector for private industry.”

He said this was also the right opportunity for Indian companiesto forge alliances with Israeli defence industry.By collaborating now, Indian companies could transfer Israeli defence technology “which either don’t exist or in a nascent stage in our own country”.

Talking aboutL&T’s interest in water business , Mr. Bhargava said:“We are looking at the Israeli industry dealing with desalination and water treatment with a view to partnering with them and take this technology back to our country.” He said that he has spoken to a few Israeli companies who can transferthe technology. He said the visit also enabled him to interact with a few companies in infrastructure development.

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