Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), underscored India’s proactive engagement in addressing the concerns of Global South nations. Highlighting the significance of air power, he emphasised the role of the Indian Air Force (IAF) as a catalyst for progress, nurturing strategic partnerships, and contributing to the collective development of the Global South. He observed that India’s expanding indigenous defence capabilities paved the way for collaborations and export opportunities. The Air Chief said that the LCA, LCH, and Akash platforms provide air forces in the Global South with competitive and dependable choices, boosting India’s economic and technological influence.
“Establishing joint ventures with these nations can be mutually beneficial. This could involve co-development of components, sharing production facilities and creating regional maintenance and support hubs. Capability development in the areas of global supply chains, creating manufacturing hubs and setting up MROs are some areas that we need to concentrate on. Another area that we need to explore is joint research and development projects, defence innovation and technological exchange,” Chaudhari said at the 20th Subroto Mukherjee seminar on “India and the Global South: Challenges and Opportunities” held in New Delhi on Friday. The seminar was organised by the Centre for Air Power Studies.
Discussing the impact of Indian Military Advisory Teams and programs offered through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) initiative, which have facilitated enhanced cooperation by providing training for over 200,000 officials in both civil and defence sectors, he noted that in the past nine years, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has trained more than 5,000 foreign participants from Global South countries.
“We have expanded our engagement in training and collaboration with these nations,” he emphasised. Underlining the IAF’s longstanding tradition of training air force cadets from Global South nations, he emphasised that India’s ascendancy in the Global South signifies a pivotal moment in international affairs, giving voice to the concerns of these nations. He also highlighted India’s advocacy for their interests during its G20 Presidency.
The Air Chief Marshal stressed the significance of recognising the current security challenges confronting India and the Global South. Issues such as terrorism, cyber threats, regional conflicts, and other shared concerns need to be addressed on a unified platform. According to him, the landscape of international relations is constantly in flux, with traditional power structures facing challenges from emerging players.
Highlighting the looming threat of global conflict driven by ideological divisions, resource scarcity, and climate change, he pointed out that this situation has given rise to interconnected challenges like economic disparity and resource exploitation.
Team BharatShakti
