New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that ammunition and components are equally important for all defence services. “There is a need to have a strong base of ammunition manufacturing in India. We need to emphasize on indigenous designs,” he added. Looking at India’s regional and geo-political imperatives along with the security challenges, the vision of self-reliance in defence production cannot be left behind, highlighted Singh.
Addressing the 2nd conference on Military Ammunition ‘AMMO India 2022’ organized by FICCI, jointly with CENJOWS, Raksha Mantri added that Atma Nirbhar Bharat does not mean India closing the doors for the world. India is ranked in top 10 countries as far as defence expenditure is concerned which makes it an attractive destination for defence manufacturing. “Ministry of Defence is promoting foreign original equipment manufacturers to not only invest in the Indian defence market but provide an opportunity to export from India also,” he added.
Speaking on the role of the private sector, the Defence Minister stated that the government understands the capabilities of the private sector. The government has taken a series of steps to increase private sector participation in the defence sector. “The government is working to remove all barriers to help the industry including relaxation in certain conditions, financial eligibility criteria, credit ratings etc. to facilitate and incentivize participation by the private sector,” he added.
Lt Gen CP Cariappa, Master General of Sustenance (MSG), Indian Army, said that as a nation, we have witnessed a paradigm shift in outlook towards defence production. The necessity of a self-reliant India in the defence sector, especially in the ammunition sector cannot be over emphasized. “With the current geo-political dynamics that emerge from a national security perspective, being Atmanirbhar in the defence sector is no longer an option for India. The Indian Army is fully committed in achieving Aatmanirbharta in the defence sector particularly in the ammunition manufacturing sector,” he added.
Subhrakant Panda, Senior Vice President, FICCI, said that in order to enhance private sector participation in the defence sector, the Ministry should begin trials in a time-bound manner on all import substitution options available for Indian industry. “Indigenization through handholding is the way to go,” he added. Panda also suggested that an assessment is needed to gauge the infrastructure required for the private sector to meet capacity requirements for armed forces. /BI/
