Main headlines from this issue

UAE: Tawazun’s new approach - remove mandatory outputs, simplify penalties, allow indirects

The Tawazun Economic Council is discarding a dusty economic mandate that has been the offset policy’s bedrock since 1992. Among the changes is the need for contractors to fulfil their obligations by generating profitable activities with a minimum level of input and output-based credits. Tawazun will also remove or simplify penalties for non-fulfilment, bank guarantees, and milestones...

India signs 21 offset contracts in three years

India’s MoD has announced that it signed 21 defence offset contracts with a cumulative value of approximately $5.67bn over the last three years. Last month a parliamentary standing committee on defence announced that India had signed 42 defence offset contracts since introducing the offset policy in December 2002, and had seen few returns.

Australia walks back 60 percent local content level in submarine deal

The Australian Department of Defence has signed a Strategic Partnering Agreement with Naval Group for the production of twelve “Attack-class” future submarines. Naval Group won the $A50bn ($35bn) tender two years, ago, but the SPA has faced significant delays.

Russian Helicopters identifies potential partners in India for the KA-226T

Russian Helicopters, a subsidiary of Rostec, signed five industrial participation MoUs with Indian firms at Aero India 2019. The parties agreed to explore the production of assemblies and components for the Ka-226T helicopter.

Venezuela offers India oil barter

Venezuela is open to barter payment arrangements with India as a workaround to U.S. sanctions, Venezuelan oil minister Manuel Quevedo said at a press conference in Delhi. Caracas currently buys medicines and other products from India and is looking for alternative payment methods.