Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 30

To give a push to the “Make in India” scheme, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) today issued a notification liberalising and easing the rules for attracting greater investment in the domestic manufacturing of arms, ammunition and other weaponry.The MHA said the move would boost employment. As per the new rules, the licences granted for manufacturing would now be valid for lifetime and the system of renewal has been done away with.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)Similarly, the practice of prior approval from the Central and state governments that the manufactured small arms and light weapons would be sold to them only has been done away with.The liberalised rules will apply to licences granted by the MHA for small arms and ammunition, and those granted by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), under powers delegated to it, for tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, defence aircraft, spacecrafts, warships of all kinds, arms and ammunition and allied items of defence equipment other than small arms.Under the new rules, which came into effect on October 27, enhancement of capacity up to 15 per cent of the quantity approved under the licence will not require any further approval. The licence fee has also been reduced significantly. Earlier, it was Rs 500 per firearm. The licence fee will now range from Rs 5,000 to the maximum of Rs 50,000.