India Bans Six Defence Firms For 10 Years

India on Monday banned six defence firms, including four foreign companies, from doing any business in the country for 10 years beginning 2012, following the chargesheeting of a former Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) chief in a graft case.
 
The companies banned are Singapore Technologies,Israeli Military Industries, German Rheinmetall Air Defence, Russia Corporation Defence and two Indian firms, defence ministry spokesman Sitanshu Kar told reporters in New Delhi.
 
The ban will be effective for 10 years beginning 2012, he added.The Indian firms are TS Kishan and Company Private Limited and RK Machine Tools, they added.
 
The action follows the Central Bureau of Investigation chargesheet against former OFB chief Sudipto Ghosh, and the probe agency’s recommendation for blacklisting the six firms.
 
The firms were issued a show cause notice and after perusing their replies, the government decided to “debar” them, Kar added.