India’s self-reliance in defence sector to boost its global standing: PM
   Date :28-Aug-2020

Indias self reliance_1&nb
 
 
NEW DELHI,
 
PRIME Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that his Government’s resolve for ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ is not inward-looking, but aimed at boosting India’s capabilities and global peace, and also for helping the world economy become more stable. Speaking at a defence industry outreach seminar, Modi said India’s self-reliance on defence capabilities will boost its standing of being a net security provider in the Indian Ocean, make it a defence supplier for many friendly countries and deepen strategic ties. Wooing private players, he asserted that the import embargo on a number of defence equipment is not only aimed at curbing imports but also giving a boost to the domestic industry. He said more items will be added to this import embargo list later.
 
He noted that India has long been one of the biggest defence importers in the world and rued that enough attention was not paid to augmenting domestic production in the past despite the country having inherited a capable ecosystem at the time of Independence. Asserting that a new mindset has emerged on his Government’s watch, he said it is working to boost domestic manufacturing and developing new technologies with the maximum role for the private sector. His Government has opened the way for 74 per cent FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) in defence production through automatic route, he noted.
 
Referring to recent labour reforms in a number of States, Modi said the reform exercise is not going to stop. The work on building defence corridor is also on at a rapid pace in States of Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, he said, while adding that Rs 20,000 crore investment would be made for this in the next five years. Modi said his Government has always worked to remove red-tape and roll out red carpet for the private sector, while asserting that it is a win-win situation for everyone.
 
India will also ‘Make for World’: Rajnath Singh
 
NEW DELHI :
 
WITH collaborative and cooperation efforts India will achieve not just ‘Make in India’ but also ‘Make for World’ in the defence sector, said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh here on Thursday. Singh along with Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and others took part in the Defence Industry Outreach Webinar organised by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Defence Ministry.
 
“I am confident that through our collaborative and cooperative efforts, we will not only achieve ‘Make in India’ but also ‘Make for World’... We want to become self-reliant to contribute to the world in a better way. In this direction, some bold policy reforms have been taken like the ban on import of 101 defence items,” Singh said. “This list is just a start, in the coming days it will result in approximately Rs 1.40 lakh crores of purchases domestically. The Defence Ministry has also for the first time released a draft of Defence Production and Export Promotion policy 2020,” he added.
 
According to Singh, the policy will work on “greater visibility” for upcoming opportunities so that the industries will get the demands of Armed Forces. He also asserted that the budget for procurement will be increased by 15 per cent per year. The focus will be on exports, he said, adding that by 2025 the export target will be to achieve 25 per cent of revenue, which will be beneficial in achieving Rs 1,75,000 crore annual turnover target in the defence sector by the same year. Singh and CDS Rawat, along with other officials, also released a booklet Department of Military Affairs, which encapsulates entire policy related to Atmanirbhar Bharat on defence during the webinar. He also said a big part of the budget, Rs 52,000 crore in the current financial year, has been earmarked for purchases from domestic vendors and also spoke about the changes made in Defence Procurement Procedure, 2016 for helping the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ cause.
 
Singh said efforts for becoming Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) had begun since Independence and highlighted the corporatisation of Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), setting up of defence corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, among others. “We fully understand that investment in defence sector is different from others. The stakes are higher, the gestation period is longer and the technology used is cutting edge.
 
Apart from these industries also face order and assurance issues. We have taken initiatives for them, we want our industries to compete in the global market and make our presence felt in new markets,” Singh said. Rawat, speaking at the webinar, said the ministry “will re-examine defence requirements and prioritise those with indigenous research and development. Work towards corporatisation of Ordnance factories for a more efficient interface and integrate them into the layered defence ecosystem.” “We have capability, capacity and will to produce high-end indigenous weapon systems. With Government’s push in the right direction and vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat being promulgated, this is time to see this opportunity to achieve self-efficiency and becoming a net exporter of defence equipment,” Rawat added. 
 
Indigenous tech will give forces satisfaction: CDS Rawat
 
NEW DELHI :
 
INDIA’S armed forces are committed to hand-hold the domestic industry in developing next generation military platforms and equipment to make the country self reliant in defence manufacturing, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat said on Thursday. In an address at a seminar on promoting the domestic defence industry, General Rawat said nothing will give the Armed Forces greater satisfaction than fighting and coming out victorious in wars with indigenous technology and equipment. India has been facing numerous security threats and challenges and they are going to increase manifold in the future, General Rawat said, adding that the country has the capability to deal with them.
 
“Nothing will give us greater satisfaction than fighting and coming out victorious in wars with indigenous technology and equipment,” said the Chief of Defence Staff, adding that the armed forces do not have any bias towards imported equipment. General Rawat also elaborated on various policy initiatives by the Government to promote the domestic defence industry and said the strength of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) should be utilised in bringing out new equipment and technologies. “The armed forces are committed to hand-hold the industry,” he said.
 
The Government has already outlined its broad roadmap to make India a hub of defence manufacturing and has been taking policy initiatives to promote the domestic defence industry. On August 9, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced that India will stop import of 101 weapons and military platforms like transport aircraft, light combat helicopters, conventional submarines, cruise missiles and sonar systems by 2024. In a related development, the DRDO on Monday identified 108 military systems and subsystems like navigation radars, tank transporters and missile canisters for the domestic industry to design, develop and manufacture. The premier organisation said it will also provide support to industries for design, development and testing of these systems on a requirement basis.
 
It has set a target of next year in developing the 108 systems and subsystems. India is one the largest importers of arms globally. According to estimates, the Indian armed forces are projected to spend around USD 130 billion in capital procurement in the next five years. The Government now wants to reduce dependence on imported military platforms and has decided to support the domestic defence manufacturing. The Defence Ministry has set a goal of a turnover of USD 25 billion (Rs 1.75 lakh crore) in defence manufacturing in the next five years that includes an export target of USD 5 billion (Rs 35,000 crore) worth of military hardware.