AIR Spotlight: Def Expo 2022

AIR Spotlight is an insightful program featured daily on the All India Radio Newsonair. In this program, many eminent panellists discuss issues of importance which can be quite helpful in IAS exam preparation. This article is about the discussion on Def Expo 2022.

Participants:

1. Major General Ashok Kumar, Security Analyst 
2. Simran Sodhi, Journalist

Context: PM Narendra Modi recently inaugurated ‘DefExpo 2022’ in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Introduction: 

• The 12th edition of DefExpo-2022, on Land, Naval & Homeland Security Systems Exhibition is taking place at Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India. 
  • The 11th edition of DefExpo was held in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh in 2020.
• DefExpo is a flagship biennial event of the Ministry of Defence, showcasing the land, naval, air as well as homeland security systems.

DefExpo 2022:

• The theme for the DefExpo 2022 is ‘Path to Pride’, which is in line with India’s vision towards Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• The event involves live demonstrations showcasing the equipment and skills of the Armed Forces, Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), and private entities.
  • This will showcase the growing strength of the domestic defence industry, which is one of the major drivers of the nation’s resolve to achieve ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ as envisioned by the Prime Minister of India.
• The event has been organised to support, showcase and forge partnerships for the Indian aerospace and defence manufacturing sectors with Indian as well as global customers to achieve the overall objective of catering to domestic requirements while fulfilling the needs of friendly foreign countries. 
  • DefExpo 2022 will be the first-ever edition exclusively for Indian companies. Indian companies, Indian subsidiaries of Foreign OEMs, divisions of companies registered in India, and exhibitors having joint ventures with an Indian company will be considered as Indian participants.
  • However, foreign companies are invited to conduct seminars and meetings during the show, including the one in which they will be invited to invest in Indian startups and companies.
  • Seventy-five countries are participating in DefExpo 2022.
• The India Pavilion – a pavilion of the Department of Defence Production – will showcase the maturity of indigenous defence products, start-ups and the latest technology, including Artificial Intelligence in defence, while presenting India’s vision for 2047.
• For the first time, states and union territories will be setting up pavilions during the event.
• The event will also include the hosting of the 2nd edition of the India-Africa Defence Dialogue, which will witness the participation of defence ministers of various African countries.
• A separate Indian Ocean Region (IOR) plus conclave will also be organised.
  • The focus of DefExpo 2022 is to promote defence exports to countries in Africa and IOR.

The growth of India’s defence exports:

• India’s defence exports have increased from ₹1,521 crores in 2016-17 to ₹8,434.84 crores in 2020-21. The figure stood at ₹10,745 crores in 2018-19. 
• The Government has set an ambitious target to achieve exports of about ₹35,000 crores ($5 billion) in aerospace and defence goods and services by 2025.
• According to the latest report of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), three Indian companies figure among the top 100 defence companies in the 2020 rankings — Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Ordnance Factory Board and Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL). 
  • While India remained among the top importers, it was also included in the Top 25 defence exporters.

Read more on defence reforms in India in the linked article.

Major exports from India:

• India’s military exports have jumped by 334% in the last five years, which involves exports to more than 75 countries around the globe.
• With collaborative efforts, India has taken several policy initiatives in the past few years to amplify its indigenous design, development, and manufacture of defence equipment, to make world-class military apparatus.
• Vietnam is procuring 12 Fast Attack Crafts under a $100 million credit line announced by India and discussions are continuing to identify systems under the second line of credit of $500 million.
  • Vietnam is also interested in Advanced Light Helicopters and Akash surface-to-air missiles.
• HAL has pitched its helicopters and the Tejas LCA to several Southeast Asian and West Asian nations and is in the race to supply the LCA to Malaysia.
• Discussions on the sale of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, jointly developed by India and Russia, are at an advanced stage with some Southeast Asian nations.

Atma Nirbharta in Defence:

• In the past few years, the Union government has taken various policy initiatives to encourage indigenous manufacturing of defence equipment, thereby promoting self-reliance in defence manufacturing & technology.
• Several initiatives include priority to the procurement of capital items from domestic sources under Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP)-2020, the announcement of 18 major defence platforms for industry-led design and development, liberalisation of foreign direct investment (FDI) policy allowing 74 per cent investment under the automatic route, among several others.
• To minimise import by Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), the Department of Defence Production (DDP) has notified three Positive Indigenisation Lists (PIL) of subsystems/assemblies/subassemblies/components.
• Strategic defence products including Light Tanks, Helicopters, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are part of the indigenous list for which there would be an embargo on the import beyond the timelines indicated against them.
• Two defence industrial corridors have been established — one each in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to bolster indigenous manufacturing.
• Simplification of the process of obtaining a licence, the launch of Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative and enhanced use of Artificial Intelligence in the defence sector have bolstered the goal to achieve self-reliance.
• The creation of the Defence Space Agency and Armed Forces Special Operations Division apart from the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) with the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) will ensure that the next 25 years would be an ‘Amrit Kaal’ for the defence sector in India. 

Image Source: PIB

Foreign Policy and Defence Manufacturing:

• The war with China in 1962 and the India-Pakistan war of 1965 showed India her under-preparedness for war which led to increasing the defence expenditure to 2.3% of GDP.
• The over-dependence on the Soviet Union for defence equipment over the years had forced a change in India’s approach to defence industrialization from licence-based production to indigenous design-based production.
• Even our closest partners like Russia and France refused the technology transfer for several crucial technologies which ascertain the financial and strategic interests of the countries with a war-based economy.
  • For example, technology on Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) that allows the submarines to stay underwater for a longer duration was refused to India by Russia and France which resulted in Project 75-India.
  • Project 75-India aims to build a series of future aircraft carriers and submarines that will qualitatively increase the stealth of the Indian Navy.
• The recent Russia-Ukraine conflict showed how its ripple effects could affect energy and food security for most vulnerable countries. 
• While addressing the IOR Plus Defence Ministers’ Conclave held on the sidelines of DefExpo 2022, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh sought collaboration of Indian Ocean Region (IOR) countries to tackle terrorism, narcotics and unregulated fishing in the Indian Ocean.
  • He said, “India is ready to supply various types of missile systems, light combat aircraft, helicopters, multipurpose light transport aircraft, warships and patrol vessels, gun systems, tanks, radars, military vehicles, electronic warfare systems and other weapon systems to friendly IOR countries.”
  • Engaging with our partner countries through forums like IOR Plus Defence Ministers’ Conclave, DefExpo helps to create a better global order accommodative to India’s interest.
• Self-reliance in defence manufacturing is a crucial component for improving defence capability, maintaining national sovereignty and achieving military superiority. 

Read previous AIR Spotlight articles in the link.

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