Washington: The Obama Administration is eyeing the lucrative multi-billion dollar tender for medium multi-role combat aircraft of Indian Air Force as this has the potential to create 27,000 jobs in the US.
At a time when unemployment rate continues to be at low ebb and US President Barack Obama is struggling to create fresh jobs; such a deal bagged by an American company could give him a big political boost.
Two major fighter jet manufacturing companies - Boeing and Lockheed Martin - are vying for the USD 10 billion Indian tender; which is expected to be raised by the US officials during the India visit of the US President in November.
"If either jet wins, we estimate that it could bring 27,000 jobs to the US," Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake told a Baltimore-based think tank, thus indicating the importance US attaches in bagging such a deal.
"Equally important, it will help seal our strategic objective of working wing-to-wing with India to bolster global security and stability," Blake said.
"India is the world's largest democracy, one of the world's fastest growing economies, and a rising power in Asia and beyond. It has vibrant democratic institutions, a free press, a robust civil society, and an innovative private sector," he said.
"India's commitment to the values cherished by their people and espoused by their founders democracy, pluralism, tolerance, openness, and respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights animate our continued efforts to build a more peaceful, prosperous, inclusive, secure, and sustainable world," he said.
"These common values and our increasingly convergent interests have driven an unprecedented transformation in Indo-US relations in just one decade
"Today, the wide scope and the intensity of our bilateral engagement is unprecedented and yet still growing," he said.
"President Obama had called India our "indispensable" partner for the 21st century. That's why the President and Secretary Clinton are now forging a new strategic partnership with India that will help shape the 21st century," Blake said. AP
