PM’s US visit to be a watershed, says General Atomics global corp chief executive
Hindustan TimesWashington Vivek Lall Vivek Lall, the chief executive of General Atomics Global Corporation, has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s State visit to the US will be a “watershed”, and lauded Modi and President Joe Biden for taking the defence relationship to the next level. Lall, a veteran of the US defence industry, said, “The US-India defence relationship has been one of great convergence in the last few years and has grown from strength to strength with India and the US having signed several foundational agreements. When asked if India and the US were finally addressing the concerns of the other side that have inhibited the growth in defence ties — Washington DC has wanted India to buy more weapon systems, Delhi has wanted the US to ease export controls and invest in co-production and co-development — Lall said that the Modi’s visit was a “watershed event” and will be “historic”. When you look at the industrial setup on both sides, there is great keenness to work together because of shared interests in terms of tech and innovation.” With India having leased two MQ-9B drones as the border crisis with China intensified in 2020 — a lease that was enabled by rapid US government clearances — Washington has expected New Delhi would pursue a larger acquisition deal.