The three armed services, Air Force, Navy and Indian Army, can no longer import some of the critical weapon systems to replace the old ones, the officials reportedly said.
New Delhi: As a result of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push to boost domestic manufacturing of defence systems, India is slowly slipping into a vulnerable spot amid persistent threats from China and Pakistan, officials in knowledge of the matter told a section of media.
The three armed services, Air Force, Navy and Indian Army, can no longer import some of the critical weapon systems to replace the old ones, the officials reportedly said. The added that India will fall critically short of helicopters by 2026 and face a shortfall of hundreds of fighter jets by 2030.
Within months after assuming charge as the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi had unveiled the Make in India policy to build everything in India in order to generate employment and reduce outflow of foreign exchange. However, eight years later, India, which is the world’s biggest importer of military hardware, still doesn’t manufacture enough weapons in the country to meet its needs. And the officials said the government rules are blocking imports.
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Make in India mandates between 30% to 60% of homemade components, depending on the nature of the military purchase or where it is purchased from. Earlier, there were no such caps and the country used a system of plowing back a certain percentage of the cost of the purchase into domestic manufacturing.
If the officials are to be believed, then India’s military preparedness is set to further deteriorate amid threats from Pakistan and China. It is important to note that both Pakistan and China have their soldiers deployed along the borders with India.
Notably, Bloomberg spoke to multiple officials for this story across the three services in India and they all asked not to be identified to discuss sensitive issues. Bloomberg’s email seeking comments to the Ministry of Defence also was not answered.
It is important to note that while India’s military has increased its local purchases of some defence items, the country is yet produce complex items like diesel-electric submarines and twin-engine fighters. There were plans to buy fighters from foreign manufacturers but they had to be shelved because the Modi-led government wants the air force to opt for indigenously-made single-engine fighters.
