What ails the process of enhancing Defence Manufacturing capability in India? That is a serious question that needs to be answered since the government is keen to ensure that the ‘Make in India’ programme is a success.
India has the dubious reputation of being the largest importer of arms in the world today. That from a country that has outstanding manufacturing skills across the board (minus Defence). This is in spite of the fact that over the last decade-and-a-half, the Government has openly stated that the intent is to move from a 70 percent import requirement to 30 percent or less.
Myriad reasons have been given. Among them are:
Environment difficult for doing business.
Lack of Infrastructure.
Lack of R&D facilities in the defence sector in respect of private industry.
Indecisiveness in both Government and private industry.
Lack of clarity of intent from both sides.
The Defence Procurement Procedures have been continuously evolving since 2002 with a new document issued on a now regular basis. However, there has been little or no progress in actual manufacturing in the defence sector.
In actuality, there are issues with all stakeholders, be it the government, the bureaucracy, the user, the Defence Public Sector Units and private industry. All in some form or the other have contributed to the present situation. However, rather than play the blame game, it would be prudent to examine ways and means of rectifying the situation.
The aim of any private entity, while doing business, is to generate some sort of profit for themselves. It would be incorrect for either the political dispensation or the user to assume that anything would be done purely from a nationalistic point of view without generation of profit in some form or the other. It need not necessarily be in terms of cash but in terms of opportunity/growth/mutual benefit. At no stage will private industry take on a project that will result in only losses. This aspect must be kept in mind by the government and the user while addressing the issue.
This story is from the May 2018 edition of Geopolitics.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 2018 edition of Geopolitics.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
India's space economy set to soar
India's burgeoning space economy could see a substantial increase in its global share by 2040. At present, India's space sector contributes a modest $8 billion to the overall cake. However, the government has set its sights on an ambitious target, aiming for a five-fold surge in India's share of the global space economy.
CRITICAL NEED TO BOOST CONVENTIONAL SUBMARINE FLEET
VENUGOPAL MENON explains why India cannot afford to view the critical deficiency in Submarine force levels lightly
BEEFING UP OUR SUBMARINE FLEET
In the last week of March, the Indian Navy displayed its submarine prowess. Eight of its submarines operated together in the Western Indian Ocean Region, a first in three decades, and one of its Scorpene submarines sailed to the Andaman Nicobar Islands, overlooking the Malacca Strait, a critical choke point for China. But how is the comparison with China? RITU SHARMA reports
ENHANCING CRUISE MISSILE CAPABILITY
India’s cruise missile capability has largely evolved as a credible conventional level deterrence since the turn of the new millennium. But much more needs to be done, writes AMARTYA SINHA
BOOSTING DEFENCE EXPORTS
Earlier, India was known to be an arms importer. But today, the country has come out of its comfort zone and found a place in the list of top-25 arms exporter nations argues AMARTYA SINHA
ENHANCING INDIA'S AIRBORNE SURVEILLANCE CAPABILITIES
Project NETRA represents a proactive initiative by ISRO to safeguard India's interests in space by mitigating the risks posed by space debris and other hazards, says GIRISH LINGANNA
THE HIMALAYAN TRIANGLE: WHY INDIA KEEPS BHUTAN SAFE FROM CHINA
India, given its special relationship with Bhutan, has been very wary about the possibility of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the signing of a boundary agreement between Bhutan and China, writes SIMRAN SODHI
TROOST, DESAI AND SANCTIONS
The Western sanctions against companies and individuals doing business with Russia have produced a complex set of reactions with lobbyists and shell companies working overtime to beat the rap. A GEOPOLITICS Bureau report
THE KOREA-GATE
India attaches great importance to “three principles of inclusiveness, trust and reciprocity’” for creating the basis for working more closely with like-minded partners in the Indo-Pacific such as the Republic of Korea (ROK), better known as South Korea for “a free, peaceful and prosperous region”. Prakash Nanda dissects the relationship and the way ahead
Pushpak RLV-TD successfully lands autonomously
ISRO achieved another significant milestone in reusable launch vehicle (RLV) technology with the successful landing of Pushpak (RLV-TD), the winged vehicle, autonomously on the runway.