Why defence industry needs an urgent rehaul

A ministry of defence tech and production, that will subsume the departments of defence production and R&D and implement a time-bound strategy for production, is needed

- Arun Prakash

The commissioning of three frontline naval platforms on January 15—the first Project-17A frigate, Nilgiri; the last of four Project-15B destroyers, Surat; and the sixth and last Scorpene-class submarine Vagsheer—is of considerable consequence for the Navy and the nation. While these long-awaited accretions will bolster India's maritime warfare capabilities, they are also a reassuring demonstration of the diverse competencies acquired by our warship building industry in the 53 years since the first Indian-built warship (also named Nilgiri) was delivered in 1972.

Amidst the euphoria, it is important to take note of a recent reality check, provided by China. On December 27, 2024, Shanghai's Hudong Shipyard launched a 40,000-tonne warship of radical design, described as China's first "super-sized amphibious assault ship." Built in just four years, this vessel features an electromagnetic catapult as well as arresting gear to enable fixed-wing aircraft operations and carries a complement of unmanned combat air vehicles. A day earlier, China displayed two new aircraft acclaimed by aviation experts as the world's first and second "sixth generation" fighters, designated the Chengdu J-36 and Shenyang J-50. Both are powered by Chinese-designed and manufactured WS-15 jet engines.

Comparisons may seem odious, but many in India are not aware that in 1949, when the People's Republic of China came into being, India was industrially ahead of it. World War II had spawned a vast defence-industrial complex to supply the Allied war effort. Apart from numerous government ordnance factories, it included the privately-owned Hindustan Aircraft Limited and Scindia Shipyard. China, however, launched a national campaign to undertake reverse engineering of Soviet weapon systems in the mid-1960s. Six decades later, this resolute quest for technology acquisition has made it a leading arms-producing nation.