Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 22

In the past two years, the Ministry of Defence has showed its intent of bridging gaps in battle readiness. But over the next three years the Narendra Modi-led government needs to implement the same by procuring fighter jets, artillery guns, bulletproof jackets, torpedoes and helicopters among other items.Though policy changes have been made, a case of increasing the limit for Foreign Direct Investment is pending. Expectedly, the ‘Make in India’ agenda has taken some time to show on ground.Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has been at the helm since November 2015 and his biggest challenge is to reduce the import bill and dependence on imports from the US, Russia, Ukraine and France. India yet again emerged as the world’s largest buyer of weapons and military equipment, accounting for some 14 per cent of all such international imports, a report of the Sweden-based think-tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in March this year.Parrikar has announced an amendment to the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) that gives more importance to local products.The Modi government has taken key decisions to have an indigenous artillery gun programme, make the light transport aircraft in private sector in India and produce the Russian Kamov light utility helicopters here, but everything will take time to fructify. The three services collectively need around 1,000 copters. Conversely, the purchase of 36 Rafale jets from France in a fly-away condition and the decision to procure 145 ultra light howitzers (ULH) from the US is still not done.The indigenous nuclear submarine, INS Arihant, is on sea trials and so is the conventional sub Kalvari.A deepening military alliance with Japan has formalised a US-India-Japan grouping, a fact not palatable to Beijing while New Delhi has deepened ties with countries involved in the South China Sea.Focus of the MoD will have to be on building roads along the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. Four strategic railway lines have been approved and will need attention.

Achievements

• Key decisions taken to have an indigenous artillery gun programme, make the light transport aircraft in private sector and produce the Russian Kamov light utility helicopters in India
• Amendment to the Defence Procurement Procedure that gives more importance to local products, hence increased focus on ‘Make in India’
• Indigenous nuclear submarine INS Arihant and conventional sub Kalvari are on sea trials

Downside

• India remains the biggest importer of weapons and military equipment, accounting for some 14 per cent of all such international imports
• Procedures are taking long, which is holding back changes. The purchase of 36 Rafale jets from France in a fly-away condition and procurement of 145 ultra light howitzers from the US is yet to be sealed
• Demand to increase FDI limit from existing 26 per cent