Geopolitical tensions will push governments to invest more in defence: Thales Group chief

By Shailesh Yadav
New Delhi [India], October 17 : The ongoing geopolitical tensions such as the Israel-Hamas and Russia-Ukraine will drive governments to invest more and more in defence infrastructure, said Patrice Caine, CEO and Chairman, of Thales Group.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, Patrice Caine said that these tensions in the geopolitical landscape are driving governments to allocate more resources to defense.
"In fact, this momentum was already quite high before typically the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. The different conflicts (Israel-Hamas) show the fact that we live in a dangerous world for sure. These tensions on the geopolitical side lead more and more governments to invest more and more in defence," said the CEO.
Thales Group Chief is currently in India to commemorate the company's 70-year presence in the country. During this visit, he will reconnect with customers, partners, suppliers, and explore potential business opportunities.
Regarding India, Caine highlighted the country's highly active economy in comparison to other regions across the world.
"It's really booming and very impressive. Aviation, this is a key sector that is growing very fast in India, that's very impressive," Caine said.
"Cybersecurity business as well growing very fast and off-course, defence, which is a key pillar of Thales defence. I would say there is a very high need in India, in Asia and the same situation is in the Middle East, in Europe, in the US and in Australia. In all these countries in which we have a long-lasting presence, we foresee numerous opportunities," he said.
Caine further pointed out that significant aircraft orders by Indian airline companies, including Air India and Indigo, are expected to create significant momentum.
During the Paris Air Show in June 2023, Indigo placed a firm order for 500 Airbus A320 Family aircraft. Air India has also signed purchase agreements to acquire 470 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing.
Thales was selected by Airbus to equip its commercial airliners with the most powerful and innovative flight management system.
With its expertise in avionics, connectivity cybersecurity and air traffic management, Thales is the only European company to offer end-to-end onboard and ground-based solutions that help to meet the ambitious objectives of optimising flight operations in terms of the air transport sector's carbon footprint.
Furthermore, Thales is actively exploring new opportunities within the Indian defense sector. The company has already established various partnerships and collaborations with the Indian armed forces.
"We have numerous opportunities and ways to engage the Air Force, Army, and Navy as well. We are a key supplier and partner to Dassault Aviation providing the radar and the electronic warfare communication. We are providing pieces of equipment that are on board of fighter jet Rafale representing roughly 25 per cent of the overall value of this combat aircraft," Caine said.