Defence production

THE theme of the 14th edition of Aero India, ‘The runway to a billion opportunities’, seeks to showcase India’s growth in aerospace and defence capabilities. At the inauguration of Asia’s biggest military airshow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about the quest for self-reliance. Once the biggest importer of weapons, the country now exports to 75 countries. The defence exports have increased six times in the last five years and crossed $1.5 billion. His message to the private sector was to not miss the opportunity. The five-day event aims to promote the export of indigenous air platforms. Companies from 98 countries are taking part.

As the country scouts for military planes and helicopters, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid out the roadmap before the top honchos of aerospace majors. India does not want to remain an assembly workshop for military platforms, he conveyed; it wants to manufacture cutting-edge products. Pressing global manufacturers to produce more locally, he spoke of creating symbiotic relationships — ‘we want to build with you, launch with you, create with you and develop with you.’ He has already indicated bringing more weapons and systems under an import ban. During the last 30 months, the import of 411 military items has been barred to give a push to Make in India.

The import substitution plans are laudable for the thrust on indigenisation, but there are concerns that these tend to sidestep the fact that enormous amounts of investment and years of research are needed for developing world-class weapon systems. Just recently, the Ministry of Defence came out with sobering information. As many as 23 of the 55 ‘mission mode’ projects of the Defence Research and Development Organisation are running behind schedule. These high-priority programmes are based on the specific operational requirements put forth by the forces. Delays could affect their operational efficiency. Big ideas need well-thought-out plans.