Joint development is the only shortest way for acquiring high tech.But even if it comes to joint development we dont have much in our hands to share with our foreign partners.
In Barak 8 Israel can easily develop their own even if we dont give dual pulse motor.Same things also happens in the case of FGFA.
Of course not, we have only limited technical input but can take over 50% of the funds and of the share. That's something that's a win win for both sides, since neither Israel can afford to develop and procure these kind of systems alone (largely dependent on US funding), nor can Russia.
So we pay to get 50% ownership, access to high techs and capability in a fast development and still can contribute maybe 20% on our own.
Compared to 100% ownership of a low to medium techs and capabilties, in slow developments, with up to 60% own contribution.
Both ways make us self reliant, but only the joint developments give us security and reduction of the knowledge gap.
we dont have anything in our hand for creating fighter tech, neither money nor tech and zero infra.
I disagree, we have state own companies that can easily set up the base for R&D and infra, but they have to do it more effectively and guided by the MoD. The worst we did, was to give DRDO and HAL freedom to do what THEY want, instead of to to what the forces need and to give the monopoly.
And I totally disagree that we don't have the money. The excuse that we are a poor country is not working when you have a defence budget that belongs to the top 10 in the world and is increasing year by year, or if you send satellites to Mars.
Not to mention that we have some great private sector companies in India, that so far however doesn't show any reasonable interest in the defence or aero sector, therefor we have no competition in the aero field either.
So we have the basics, but we have to put them together in a better way. Invite private players for licence productions and JVs was the right start to create more competition and increasing the interest in the Indian defence market. The current government follows that way, although too one sided by looking only on the benefits of the privat sector. But as long as we don't push DRDO, ADA and HAL harder to show results and deliver products, as long as we don't hold any manager or scientist accountable for failures and delays, they won't get more effective and just jump on the next project. That's where the GoI / MoD has to put the biggest focus and pressure on, not just rewarding mistakes with more money!
Kaveri engine is a dead episode .We dont need to reinvent another GE 414
Says who? We already have orders for around 180 x LCAs / N-LCAs with US engines + 45 x Mig 29K with Russian engines and possibly 126 x Rafales with French engines. All of them in the same class of Kaveri and all of them sooner or later needs replacements. DRDO failed to develop Kaveri for LCA - ok, but why shouldn't they further develop it for LCA MLU, Mig 29K MLU, Rafale MLU?
Replacing current foreign technology, with similar Indian counterparts!
That's exactly what we already do on the MKI, Samtel MFDs replacing Russian, DRDO Astra and Sudarshan aimed on replacing Russian R27/77 and KAB 500 / 1500 (on LCA they will replace Derby and Griffin LGBs). They don't have to be superior, but at least comparable in performance, while making us self reliant! So why do we make us dependent on foreign engines even in future, instead of improving Kaveri to a similar capability as these engine (and we are talking about more than 500 engines here!!!)?
It's just the same old habit of DRDO, they don't get things finished and already jump on the next project. LCA => AMCA, puls doppler radar => AESA radar, NAG => Helina, Astra & Sudarshan => Anti radiation missile, Kaveri => NG engine...