List consists of 101 items. Inclusion of naval choppers a boost to HAL, which wanted in on project. Rajnath Singh speaks about danger of importing systems with foreign codes.
Firms must build buffers, concerted indigenisation needed in strategic sectors like defence. At individual level, partial social safety net now exists, but more funding required.
India can’t break free of global supply chains & will stay import-dependent for energy, weapons parts. Selective integration may work better by creating mutual interdependence.
Lt Gen. T.K. Chawla, Director General Artillery, stresses importance of indigenous defence manufacturing while discussing challenges facing Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System & Dhanush.
Air Marshal Philip Rajkumar (Retd), who turns 80 Sunday, also became the oldest man to have flown the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas after a flight in February 2020.
Until the technological base of defence industry improves, ‘Make in India’ with transfer of technology and specified indigenous content may be a better bet.
For making India aatmanirbhar in defence production, the Modi government, along with the armed forces, private industry and the DRDO, will have to walk the talk.
With a growing indigenous base of drone manufacturers and exporters, and incentives from government, industry sentiment is bullish. However, some concerns remain.
That temples were destroyed and mosques built is undisputed history. The past can’t be changed, but we can’t deny the wrongs of the past either before we consider reconciliation.