Atmanirbhar in Defence [UPSC Notes]

India has announced a fresh list of about 1,000 military items, including replacement units, subsystems and spares, which will come under a phased import ban between December 2023 and December 2029. This is the fourth positive indigenisation list of strategically important components used by defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) that have been placed under an import ban over the past two years. In this article, you can learn more about India’s plans and efforts to achieve Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) in defence production. This topic is relevant for the IAS exam defence & security segments.

Atmanirbhar in Defence Production

• Three similar lists were published by the defence ministry in December 2021, March 2022 and August 2022.
• The components and subsystems in the previous lists include several items for fighter jets, Dornier-228 planes, multiple systems for submarines, equipment for T-90 and Arjun tanks, BMP-II infantry combat vehicles, warships and submarines, and anti-tank missiles.
• Import substitution of ammunition, which is a recurring requirement, has been given special emphasis in these lists.
• About 2,500 items in the previous three lists have been indigenised, and 1,238 have been identified for manufacturing in India in phases till 2028-29. Of these 1,238 items, 310 have been indigenised so far.
• Defence exports are at Rs 16,000 crore in 2022-23 from Rs 900 crore in 2014.

Details:

• The move marks the latest push for self-reliance in manufacturing items used in fighter planes, trainer aircraft, warships and different types of ammunition.
• The new list consists of 928 items, with an import substitution value of ₹715 crore, the ministry said in a statement.
• These items will only be procured from the local industry after the prescribed timelines. 
• The latest list seeks to promote domestic production of several parts of Sukhoi-30 and Jaguar fighter jets, Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40) planes, magazine firefighting systems on board warships, and gas turbine generators.
• Significance: 
  • The DPSUs will undertake indigenisation of these items through different routes under the Make in India initiative, and in-house development through the capabilities of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and private Indian industry, thus providing impetus to the growth in the economy, enhanced investment in defence, and reduction in import dependence of the DPSUs.
  • This will augment the design capabilities of the domestic defence industry by involving academia and research institutions.

Atmanirbhar (Self-reliance) in the Defence Sector

• Self-reliance for India does not mean India will disconnect from the rest of the world. 
• The aim of self-reliance is to meet the needs of the Armed Forces by building necessary equipment and platforms with our own capacity while fulfilling the security requirements of our friendly countries through exports. 
• A vast country like India cannot be exclusively dependent on imports in any sector. If we only rely on imports for defence platforms and equipment, it will make us dependent on other countries in the defence sector. 
• This dependence will be detrimental to our strategic autonomy. In addition, the more we import from other countries, the worse the adverse effect will be on our balance of trade.
• India has employed a two-pronged approach to achieve indigenisation through import bans. 
  • One approach relates to banning the import of weapons and systems such as fighter jets, warships, helicopters and artillery guns, while the other covers subsystems, spares and components that are part of bigger weapon platforms.
  • As part of the former, India has published four other lists that have imposed a phased import ban on 411 different types of weapons and platforms including lightweight tanks, naval utility helicopters, artillery guns, missiles, destroyers, ship-borne cruise missiles, light combat aircraft, light transport aircraft, long-range land-attack cruise missiles, basic trainer aircraft, airborne early warning and control systems, and multi-barrel rocket launchers.

Initiatives Taken by India to Boost Self-reliance in Defence

• India has taken a raft of measures over the past 4-5 years to boost self-reliance in defence. 
• Apart from a series of phased import bans, these steps include creating a separate budget for buying locally-made military hardware and increasing foreign direct investment from 49% to 74%.
• Around ₹1 trillion was set aside for domestic procurement in this year’s defence budget, compared to ₹84,598 crore, ₹70,221 crore and ₹51,000 crore in the three previous years.
• India’s arms imports fell 11% between 2013-17 and 2018-22, but the country is still the world’s top importer of military hardware.
• Along with cutting dependence on imports, India has sharpened its focus on strengthening its position as an exporter of military hardware. 
• Making its presence felt in the highly competitive global defence market, India exported military hardware worth ₹15,920 crore in 2022-23, the highest ever and a tenfold increase since 2016-17.
• India is currently exporting military hardware to around 85 countries. 
  • It includes missiles, offshore patrol vessels, personal protective gear, surveillance systems and a variety of radars. Weapons and systems that hold export potential include the Tejas light combat aircraft, different types of helicopters, artillery guns, Astra beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, Akash surface-to-air missile system, tanks, sonars and radars.
• The Indian government has established two defence industrial corridors, one in Uttar Pradesh and the other in Tamil Nadu. 
  • The corridors aim to create an ecosystem for defence manufacturing and promote exports. The corridors provide infrastructure, facilities, and incentives to defence manufacturing companies.
• Defence Innovation Organization (DIO) was launched in 2018 to promote innovation in the defence sector.
  • The organisation aims to support startups and innovators in the defence sector by providing funding, mentoring, and other support. The DIO also aims to foster collaboration between the private sector, academia, and the defence industry.
• The Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy (DPEPP) was launched in 2020 to boost defence production and exports from India. The policy aims to achieve a turnover of $25 billion in defence manufacturing by 2025, including a target of $5 billion in defence exports. 
  • The policy includes measures such as promoting indigenous design and development, increasing foreign direct investment, and promoting exports.

Conclusion:

India has a good strategy and action plan in place, backed by forward-looking policies, to ensure self-reliance in defence, and boost the country’s status as a net exporter of weapons in the coming years.

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