The fate of the civilian nuclear deal may be uncertain but when it comes to defence ties there is no stopping the growing Indo-US relationship. At the country’s biggest arms bazaar— Defence Expo 2008 that started off in the Capital on Saturday—joint ventures and tie-ups between Indian and American defence manufacturers stole the show.

Leading from the front was the Tata group that has announced its increasing interest in the defence sector with a series of tie-ups with foreign vendors to manufacture products ranging from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and helicopter cabins to Tactical Communication Systems for the Army. While the joint ventures are seen as a prelude to the estimated $10-billion that will be pumped into the Indian defence sector in the next five years due to the offsets policy, manufacturers are also looking at exporting Indian made products to the global markets.

A day before the expo kicked off, TATA announced an MoU with Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation to manufacture S-92 helicopter cabins in India for both the domestic and international market.

On Saturday, the Indian giant announced its entry into the lucrative UAV business with a tie-up with Israel’s Urban Aeronautics. TATA also unveiled its plans for a partnership with European defence giant EADS and US firm Raytheon to bid for an estimated $1-billion Army requirement of tactical communication systems.

US companies, who have the largest presence at the expo with as many as 47 different stalls, are scouting for Indian partners with a ‘sound technical background’ and ethical values to invest in the country.