Aerospace & Defense

The Council’s Aerospace and Defense Executive Committee promotes connections among business, government, and thought leaders in order to expand U.S.-India cooperation in Aerospace, Defense, Homeland and Cyber Security, and Civil Aviation. As a prominent platform and unique conduit for information and analysis, the committee offers a clear and informed voice on defense trade policy issues such as technology release and transfer, acquisition and procurement, offsets and industrial partnership, co-production and co-development opportunities. We promote streamlined FMS/DCS/Hybrid sales and acquisitions procedures, assist our members in navigating through these processes, and match American and Indian private sector entities to promote new business partnerships.

Value to USIBC Members

Business Intelligence: The council keeps track of political, economic and regulatory factors that affect business development opportunities for our members such as changes in India’s defense procurement procedures, new agreements between the U.S. and Indian governments, and strategic engagements by industry and government leaders.
Advocacy: We consistently encourage Indian Defense Procurement Policy reform on issues such as FDI caps, indigenization requirements, offsets flexibility and retroactivity, and other issues that affect the viability of defense trade such as policy changes in manufacturing and information security.
Networking: The council leads executive missions that connect our member companies with decision makers in the Indian and U.S. defense communities. These include missions to DefEx and AeroIndia along with tailored trips to New Delhi and Indian state capitals.
Branding: Companies take advantage of the council’s activities to showcase their company’s products and services at high profile events.

The Council provides customized advocacy on issues such as licensing, single vendor situations, interaction with state officials and government ministries, partnering with Defense Public Sector Undertakings (DPSU), and various U.S. legislation.

Defense

Informing India’s Defense Procurement Policy reform by highlighting the policy environment necessary to increase ease of doing business for American OEMs, promote technology transfer, and integrate Indian industry into global supply chains. Issues include: Foreign Direct Investment caps, indigenization requirements, offsets flexibility and retroactivity, and other issues that affect the viability of defense trade.
Promoting policy changes in manufacturing and information security, end use monitoring and enabling increased technology release and co-production and co-development of defense systems.
Enabling the Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) by informing the Joint Technical Group (JTG), Defense Procurement Production Group (DPPG), and Defense Policy Group (DPG) with industry’s perspective.

Early supporter of U.S. designation of India as a “Major Defense Partner” in 2016 law making it eligible for defense technologies on par with America’s closest allies.
Championed India’s eligibility for Strategic Trader Authorization 1 status to facilitate trade in Commerce Control Listed sensitive items.
Advocated for India to sign the 2018 Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA), which allows for advanced defense systems to be sold to India.
Invited to review and provide consultation on India Defense Procurement Procedure reforms, including revised offset policy.
Advised implementing arms of the U.S-India Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI).
Advocated for greater Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) allowance in India’s defense sector.
Led annual Executive Missions to Aero India and Def-Expo, increased engagement with Ministry of Defense and Armed Services leadership, including acquisition & offset bureaucracy.

Osamazaid Rahman is a Director covering the Defense & Aerospace portfolio in India. He also handles sectors including space policy, civil aviation and strategic trade. Rahman’s expertise includes government policy, bilateral and international treaties, and international laws impacting business. He helps companies develop linkages with officials and policymakers and works with industry to address market access barriers and policy and trade related issues.

Prior to joining USIBC GPL, Rahman was associated with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), and has worked in sectors such as defense, aerospace, homeland security, GIS and publishing. He was involved in organizing some of FICCI’s mega events, including the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on behalf of the Government of India. In addition, Rahman has over 10 years of editorial experience with publishing houses such as Oxford University Press, Orient Longman and McGraw Hill. Rahman also worked with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to design entrance examination questions for the Indian Institute of Management in 2014 and 2105, and is involved with WWF-India to support renewable energy, conservation and sustainability, and wildlife resource management.

Rahman completed his Post Graduate and MPhil from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and is working on his doctoral thesis on urban settlement and labor migration in India. He received his B.A. from the University of Calcutta. He has knowledge of Hindi, Bengali, Urdu and Persian. Rahman lives in New Delhi with his wife and two daughters.

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