Only indigenous weapons will bring about surprise element: PM Modi

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, Feb 25

India should have own customised and unique weapons system, the surprise element will come on when we have own equipment. If ten countries have same type of military equipment then we have no uniqueness of the forces, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a webinar on Friday.

He was speaking at the ‘Webinar on Budget announcements: 2022-23 Aatmanirbharta in Defence – Call to Action’. Modi said in this budget there is blue print of research, development and manufacturing.  This webinar is to take opinion of all private and public sector to give their opinion so that we are ready by the time the financial year starts off on April 1.

“Think about the country first and then only count the profits and quantum of profits,” said Modi asking the private sector ‘not to miss this opportunity”. Modi told private industry that 25 percent of the  defence R&D budget is meant for industry and academia and has the provision of creating special purpose vehicles (SPV) for enhancing role of private industry. “We want to establish private industry as partner and not just as supplier,” said the PM.

A list of equipment that will only be made in India has been made public. We have signed contracts worth Rs 54,000 crore worth of another Rs 2.50 lakh crore worth of contracts in pipeline. When we import the procurement process is so long that it’s outdated by the time it is acquired. The changes in war fighting technology mean raid changes in equipment.

The PM said   Defence procurement and purchase is also a matter of competition for foreign suppliers and each purchase leads to allegations and competitors want to show the others equipment as lower. This opens doors for corruption and sows seeds of doubts in mind of buyers about the equipment being purchased. “What is good for us or not good for us is mired in confusion created by the corporate battles,” he said.

On India’s own efforts  at exports have increased six time in the past five years, said Modi adding that that 350 industrial licences were issued for the sector after 2014.  During the period 2001 to 2014, only 200 licences were issued. Only own made weapons will bring about surprise element.