Kevin A. Desouza

Transfer of Defence Technology: Moving beyond Self-Reliance towards Technological Superiority

Foreign collaborations optimised for profit, risk-sharing and a common goal of achieving technological superiority could well enable India to break into the global market in select areas.

Published: July 31, 2017
Issue Brief

Transfer of Defence Technology: Exploring the Avenues for India

India has been the recipient of transfers of defence technology predominantly through the licensed manufacture mode which, while being cheap and easy to implement, has some major limitations. This article looks into alternate modes of technology transfer and explores additional possibilities through a broad perspective on technology development. It also attempts to assess the relative strengths of each mode, the challenges in implementation and indicate a way forward to meet suitable national goals.

Published: July 2017
Journal of Defence Studies

Does Acquisition of Critical Technologies through ToT truly benefit India?

While developing critical defence technologies has undeniable benefits, their acquisition through Transfers of Technology brings numerous complexities and eventually may deliver limited benefits.

Published: June 20, 2017
Issue Brief

Examining the Case for Complete Transfer of Technology

The relationship between the cost versus coverage of technology transferred, which likely follows the law of diminishing returns, would make technology acquisition beyond, say 80 per cent, increasingly cost prohibitive, with no matching and assured gains

Published: March 21, 2017
IDSA Comments

Transfer of Defence Technology to India: Prevalence, Significance and Insights

Transfer of technology has been prevalent in numerous forms across the world, both in the civil as well as defence domains, and India is no exception. These transfers, primarily in the form of licenced manufacture, have provided a significant boost to the production capabilities and self-reliance of developing nations in the past and hold great promise, in the future, for nations that do not have a well-developed science and technology base.

Published: October 2016
Journal of Defence Studies

Transfer of Defence Technology: A Critical Analysis

‘Transfer of Technology’ does not magically elevate defence production capabilities to cutting-edge levels and help attain future self-reliance because technology sellers employ restrictive trade practices to prevent such an eventuality.

Published: April 12, 2016
IDSA Comments

Transfer of Defence Technology: Understanding the Nuances and Making it Work for India

Publisher: KW Publishers

In recent years, transfer of defence technology to India, as an alternate route to indigenous development, has been frequently brought up with widely varying views from the Indian defence technology fraternity. Some lament its failure to help India achieve self-reliance, while others suggest it can enable India to leapfrog ahead. While it has been paradoxically found to be more expensive than outright purchase of defence systems, there are indications that countries such as Israel, South Korea and China have gained immensely from it. While there has been a flood of ToT proposals from foreign OEMs after the launch of the Make in India initiative, there have been few proposals which have materialised and a miniscule number successfully implemented. Acknowledging the need to unravel these mysteries, this book attempts to throw light on the entire range of connected aspects from a brief historical perspective to an understanding of its fundamentals and nuances, to how ToT should be aligned with national goals and there on to its implementation issues. Initially addressing the conventional mode and its complexities, it expands to touch upon the others, then the unconventional ones, the facilitators such as offsets and the transaction in its widest sense. Thus enveloping the complete spectrum, it brings its insights together to converge on a possibly successful arrangement for India. Written in an explorative, questioning style, this book will intrigue interested readers and propel the Indian defence technology community to dwell on its findings and suggestions for the formulation of a cogent way forward.

ISBN: 978-93-89137-17-0,
Price: ?.980/-
E-copy available