NEW DELHI — The Indian Ordnance Factories board has begun augmentation projects to meet the increasing demand for armored vehicles, spare parts and other equipment for the armed forces. “Augmentation projects worth about 10 billion rupees ($224 million) [for] mine-protected vehicles, armored vehicle engines, T-72 tank variants [and] spares for T-72 overhauls are being executed,” a defense ministry official says.

NEW DELHI — India is slowly shifting its allegiance from its traditional arms suppliers in Russia toward other European firms. The country last month rejected Russia’s bid to sell India its MiG-35 fighter jets in the largest arms tender of this century. India also declined Boeing and Lockheed Martin’s bids for the $11 billion Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft contract. The final contenders to deliver 126 jets are the Rafale, made by France’s Dassault Aviation, and the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Air India pilots Friday night called off their 10-day-old strike after authorities agreed to look into their pay parity demands. The pilots of the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) called off their action as of 10 p.m. local time. “All pilots who have been dismissed and suspended are being reinstated and the union’s recognition has been restored,” said A. S. Bhinder, president of the ICPA, after negotiations with the Civil Aviation Ministry.