Within minutes of it being floated on Tuesday, India's biggest global defence tender for purchase of 126 multi-role combat aircraft saw anxious bidders snapping up the tender documents.
Interestingly, the government was quick to clarify that the tender had nothing to do with the Indo-US nuclear deal shortly after the tender was floated.
Bidders' representatives lined up outside the South Block and as soon indications were given of the tender, the required documents were collected in no time.
Though the armed forces have earlier issued huge tenders, like for Bofors guns, warships, submarines and tanks, Tuesday's tender for the acquisition of aircraft running into a whopping Rs 42,000 crore is the biggest ever.
Lockheed Martin, one of the main contenders for the order, said the United States government had received the Request For Proposal for the combat aircraft from the Government of India.
"Lockheed Martin will be supporting the US in responding to the RFP," said the company which makes world's best-selling fighter F-16.
"The centerpiece of our response will be a specially tailored, robust configuration of the F-16 designed to meet India's requirements at the lowest possible procurement and operating cost," a company release said.
Other bidders also jumped into the fray promptly, including Boeing, which is placing its bid with the F-18/A Super Hornet. The Russian Aircraft Corporation also said it would be competing robustly.
Shortly after floating the tender for purchasing 126 fighter planes, the government insisted that the Indo-US civil nuclear deal had nothing to do with the procurement of the military equipment.
Defence Minister A K Antony said the government wanted the best equipment from wherever it got that.
"We want the best equipment. This tender is open to all," Antony told reporters after felicitating the members of an Indian Air Force team that flew around the world in a microlight.
To a question, he said, "The nuclear deal has nothing to do with the defence procurement."
"It is transparent. We are not influenced by anybody. It is based on merit only,"
His comments came hours after the government floated the tender to purchase 126 multi-role combat aircraft, a deal which would run up to a staggering Rs 42,000 crore.
An official announcement here said the Request For Proposals (RFP) for the fighters had been issued to six main bidders.
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