Skip to main content

India to achieve US$ 26 billion defence industry by 2025: Defence Minister


Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister, has said the government is committed to work towards achieving a $26 billion defence industry by 2025. Addressing the second annual session of Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers, he said the Defence sector has been identified as one of the most prominent sectors under Make in India initiative to realise $5 trillion economy by 2024.

Underlining the need to reduce dependency on arms imports, Defence Minister said several steps have been taken under the Make in India initiative to make the country a major defence manufacturing hub and net defence exporter. The government would not hesitate to initiate more measures, if required, he added.

He said that the defence production policy reflects the resolve of the government to achieve $26 billion defence industry with an anticipated investment of $10 billion in aerospace and defence goods and services by 2025. This will also provide employment to about 2-3 million people. He said, the government has introduced many far-reaching reforms in the past five and a half years to create an ecosystem where private and public sectors contribute together as per their respective strength and experience. The reforms have touched almost all aspects of defence production and procurement, he added.


Defence Minister said that simplification of procedures for defence exports has resulted in export of Rs 10745 crore in 2018-19, which is nearly seven times the export achieved in 2016-17 and a target of $5 billion for exports has been set till 2024.

Describing India as a big defence industrial base, the Minister said there are nine defence public sector Units, 41 ordinance factories, 50 dedicated R&D labs and many other establishments are included in it. There are about 70 license holding private companies. They have a dedicated workforce of 1.7 lakhs people.

Rajnath Singh said the government has simplified industry licensing process, increased the FDI cap and taken necessary steps to promote Defence exports. He said, defence offset policy has been streamlined and government owned trial and testing facility has been provided to private sector. Two defence industrial corridors have been launched in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.

Elaborating the Government's initiatives to promote start-ups and MSMEs, the Minister said that at present over 8000 MSMEs are engaged in defence production. Efforts are on to double this figure to 16,000.

Till date 40 industry development proposals have been given in principle approval. Eight such projects would have an estimated value of Rs 2000 crore in next five years. As against 215 defence licenses issued till 2014, the number of defence licenses issued went up to 440 by March 2019, he added.

Referring to the strong IT industry of the country, Rajnath Singh said that a road map has been prepared to promote Artificial Intelligence in national security to make India a significant power in defence AI. It has been planned to develop 25 defence specific AI products by 2024.

He assured defence manufactures of all possible support from the government. He said that the government is open to new ideas and is committed to fully harness the energies, entrepreneurship spirit and enterprise of private sector in the defence sector.

Source Link : 
http://www.defencenews.in/article/India-to-achieve-US$-26-billion-defence-industry-by-2025-Defence-Minister-657016

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Explained: What is Army Aviation Corps, the youngest Corps of the Indian Army

A look at the Army Aviation Corps’ history and its relevance in modern day battlefields, including in Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorism (CI-CT) operations. Representative Image The Army Aviation Corps (AAC), the youngest Corps of the Indian Army, celebrated its 35th Corps Day on November 1. We take a look at the arm that adds an air dimension to the Army’s capabilities, its history, and its relevance in modern day battlefields, including Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorism (CI-CT) operations. The roots of Army Aviation Corps The origin of the AAC can be traced back to the raising of the Army Aviation wing of the Royal Air Force in India in 1942, and the subsequent formation of the first Indian Air Observation Post in August 1947. The Air Observation Post units primarily acted as artillery spotters – which are the elements that help the artillery in directing the fire and also giving air support to ground forces. In the wars of 1965 and 1971, the Air Observation Post helicop...

India's S-400, Nuke Subs, Rafales pose a serious threat to Pak - FM Qureshi

India’s purchase of Russian S-400 air defence systems, via a deal signed last year and worth $5.43 billion, has unnerved Pakistan, with Foreign Minister Shah Mohammed Qureshi describing the S-400s as destabilising weapon systems which could affect the region's strategic stability. Delivery of the first S-400 system is likely to take place in 2020. Expressing his apprehension about the arms purchase by India, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mohammed Qureshi has called on global powers to be "mindful" of their responsibility in terms of arms supplies to the region. "The introduction of new destabilising weapon systems, such as the S-400 anti-ballistic missile system, could further accentuate challenges to strategic stability. They can encourage a misadventure by an adversary, under a false sense of security," FM Shah Mohammed Qureshi said on Wednesday in Islamabad. Last October, India inked a $5.43 billion defence contract with Russia to purchase of five S-400 air...

Explained: India-US defence deals - BECA, LEMOA & COMCASA

At 2+2 meeting next week, the two countries will look to push intelligence sharing pact BECA . With key deals LEMOA and COMCASA already signed, what does it mean for defence, particularly in light of LAC standoff? India and US have signed the LEMOA in 2016, COMCASA in 2018 and BECA is scheduled for the third 2+2 ministerial meeting (on November 3rd) India and the US are preparing for the third 2+2 ministerial meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh , and US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark T Esper in New Delhi on October 26-27. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen E Biegun visited India last week to lay the groundwork for the high-level visits 2+2 in 2018. One of the items on the agenda will be the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) — a pact with deep military implications. In the last two meetings, agreements known as LEMOA and COMCASA were signed; now, with BECA, these have been dubbed the ...