Rheinmetall, IMI Banned From Selling Arms To India

Major European, Israeli and Russian firms have been banned by India’s Ministry of Defence for a period of ten years. The six firms include Singapore Technologies Kinetics Ltd, Israel Military Industries Ltd. (IMI), Rheinmetall Air Defense, Corporation Defense Russia, Kisan & Co. Pvt. Ltd in New Delhi and RK Machine Tools Ltd in Ludhiana have been prohibited from further business dealings with the Ordnance Factory Board, Department of Defence Production, MoD. On the basis of the evidence collected against them, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has recommended that said firms be blacklisted. The blacklisted firms were issued a notice to show cause as to why action against them should not be taken consequent to the filing of the chargesheet in the case related to illegal gratification against former Director General of Ordnance Factories Sudipto Ghosh and others. After taking their replies into consideration, the decision to debar them was announced today, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Defense.