hi-tech civilian products. As a result, the defence deals between India and Russia are set to cross US Dollars 16 billion. The deals include the supply of S-400 air defence systems and the production of Kalashnikov rifles and Kamov helicopters. Rosoboronexport, Russia’s state-run organization, has signed deals with DRDO for advanced pyrotechnic ignition systems, HAL for the export of spares and services to allies, and BHEL for land systems. Another deal was signed between Russian Helicopters and Indo-Russian Helicopters Ltd to localise the components used in Kamov Ka-226 helicopters. India is planning to purchase 200 Ka-226 helicopters. Self-reliance in defence Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in a series of tweets, made the major announcement of giving a boost to the indigenization of India’s defence industry. “The Ministry of Defence is now ready for a big push to #AtmanirbharBharat
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initiative. MoD will introduce an import embargo on 101 items beyond the given timeline to boost indigenisation of defence production,” he said. Subsequently, MoD prepared a list of 101 items for which there would be an embargo on the import beyond the timeline indicated against them. “This decision will offer a great opportunity to the Indian defence industry to manufacture the items in the negative list by using their own design and development capabilities or adopting the technologies designed & developed by DRDO to meet the requirements of the Armed Forces,” the Minister added. “Our aim is to apprise the Indian defence industry about the anticipated requirements of the Armed Forces so that they are better prepared to realise the goal of indigenisation. All necessary steps would be taken to ensure that timelines for production of equipment as per the
Negative Import List are met, which will include a co-ordinated mechanism for hand holding of the industry by the Defence Services,” he tweeted.
Earlier, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced that the FDI limit in defence manufacturing under automatic route will be hiked to 74 per cent from the existing 49 per cent while some weapons and platforms will be banned for imports. The Finance Minister also said that Ordnance Factory Board will be corporatised for better management. Similarly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target of US Dollars 5 billion worth of military exports in the next five years. Following the Prime Minister’s call for going local, MoD released the draft Defence Acquisition Procedure-2020. All these programmes are expected to change India’s status as the world’s second-largest arms importer to a nation that boasts of a thriving domestic defence industry.
