PM Modi and his counterpart Boris Johnson held extensive talks on Friday with the latter committing to build fighter jets, in a bid to possibly wean India away from Russia arms.
Also – what remained unsaid — it will help put UK back in the big league, having lost out to the French after India signed the lucrative Rafale deal. Further details of the fighter jet collaboration were unclear.
Britain will also issue an open general export licence to India, which Downing Street sources said would speed up its defence procurement — in a first outside the European Union or the US.
With big business taking precedence, Johnson did not ask PM Modi to strengthen his position against Vladimir Putin over the invasion of Ukraine. Nor was there any discussion on India’s professed neutrality on the invasion at the UN.
