Indian Defence Ministry to discuss AWACS, SR-SAM missiles development projects next week.

Sources said that the strategic project is set to come up for discussion with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar at a key meeting this week in which DRDO will make its case for allocation of funds to go ahead with ordering a platform and initiating work.

The minister is also likely to discuss a partnership between France's MBDA and the DRDO to develop a new class of Short Range Surface to Air Missiles (SR-SAM) under the much delayed Maitri programme.

The discussion will come days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Paris where the estimated $4.8 bn programme is expected to be raised. The Maitri programme was first discussed as a government to government deal in 2007 but there has been little forward movement since 2013 when a Memorandum of Understating (MoU) was signed with DRDO.

On the AWACS project, a call will have to be taken on the platform that will be chosen. While the smaller AEWCS is based on the Embraer aircraft, DRDO requires a larger wide bodied aircraft for the AWACS programme.

Last month, sources said that Airbus Defence & Space appeared to have emerged as the sole bidder for a global tender put out by New Delhi's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for an "AWACS India" programme. The tender – for six airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system aircraft – was issued in March 2014.

Airbus recently showcased a scale model of its A330 aircraft fitted with a radome during Aero India exhibition.. If a contract is signed for the A330 as the platform for the Indian AWACS effort, it will be the first instance of the type being used in the AEW&C role.