India on Friday opened rival bids from France’s Dassault and the Eurofighter consortium, which are competing over an estimated $12 billion contract to provide 126 fighter jets. The deal to supply war planes to fast-developing India has been fiercely fought over for four years, and the unveiling of the bids started the final phase of the decision-making process.
“The bids were opened today with the contract negotiating committee and vendor representatives present to examine and evaluate the proposals to determine the lowest bidder,” defence ministry spokesman Sitanshu Kar said. An official, who declined to be named, said that it could be some weeks before the successful bid is announced after the ministry has assessed the “life-cycle” maintenance costs of each plane and other contract details.
The bids were not made public and the two companies declined to comment. India in April pulled a surprise by cutting out US bidders Boeing and Lockheed Martin — much to Washington’s disappointment — as well as dropping Sweden’s Saab AB and the Russian makers of the MiG 35 from the race.
