In April, the Indian Navy issued a Request for Information (RFI) covering a planned lease of 24 utility helicopters over the next five years. The move is the latest attempt by the service to kickstart an extensive modernization of its rotary-wing fleet that has been planned for years but repeatedly delayed by budgetary constraints.

Meanwhile, the Indian Navy has another long-overdue requirement, only partially fulfilled, to acquire 123 multirole naval helicopters to replace the service’s Sea King and Ka-27 fleets. 

If budgetary obstacles can be overcome, the Navy’s requirements and additional planned Army and Air Force projects have the potential to make India a key driver of demand in the military rotary-wing market over the next decade. 

Aviation Week Network has identified open opportunities for the supply of 272 new-build helicopters to India over the next decade, representing almost one in five of all open global opportunities over the period.