Indian Defence ministry increases list of equipment and vehicles to buy only from Indian manufacturers.

Abhishek Bhalla reports in India Today on October 19 that the Indian Ministry of Defence has released a list of 101 equipment and vehicles that would have to be procured only from domestic manufacturers, banning their import. The list has been released at DEFEXPO 2022, the ongoing Defence Expo in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
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The Indian Defence Ministry is adding more and more equipment, aircraft, ship and vehicle types that may be purchased only from Indian manufacturers (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The Indian Ministry of Defence has released the 4th positive indigenisation list, including 101 additional items that have to be procured from domestic manufacturers, Abhishek Bhalla reports. The "positive indigenisation list" essentially lists items that the armed forces — Army, Navy, and Air Force — will procure only from domestic manufacturers. These manufacturers could be from the private sector or Defense Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs). Highly complex systems, sensors, weapons and ammunition have been included in the new list, the defence ministry said.

Next-generation fighters, remote embedded systems for naval ships, Infantry Protected Mobile Vehicles (PMV) for high altitude areas, Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRAshM), Medium Range Maritime Reconnaissance (MR) Aircraft, Light Armoured Multipurpose Vehicles (LAMV) for Mechanised Infantry, Long Range UAV (HALE), Medium Range Maritime Reconnaissance (MR) Aircraft, Bullet Proof Security Vehicle for IAF, Mine Counter Measure Vessel and Ship-borne Unmanned Aerial System are among the items listed. These platforms will be procured indigenously over the next decade and the export ban will be in effect on products starting December 2022 to 2032.

The first list of 101 items was put out on August 21, 2020, the second one with 108 items was released on May 31, 2021, and the third was out on April 7, 2022. ”In the next 5-10 years, this would further stimulate the potential of domestic Research & Development by attracting fresh investments into technology and manufacturing capabilities”, the Defence ministry said in a statement.

India has been looking at enhancing its defence exports, reducing imports and being self-reliant. The country has set a target of exporting defence equipment worth Rs 35,000 crore ($5 billion) by 2025, Abhishek Bhalla reports.