India offers to buy more U.S. helicopters, hopes to drive down costs

(Reuters) - India has offered to increase an order for U.S. Apache helicopters to drive down costs as the two sides race to close a $1.4 billion deal, officials said, the first big military contract since a new government took office in New Delhi. The Apache gunships and a deal for Chinook helicopters, both built by Boeing, top the agenda for visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's talks on Friday with India's incoming administration led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India and the United States have rapidly expande…