Indigenisation of Defence

Indigenisation of Defence

Part of: GS Mains II and III – Govt schemes and policies; Defence; Indigenisation of technology 

Context: 

• Ministry of Defence (MoD) has decided to impose a ban on 101 import items to boost indigenisation of defence production. 

Do you know? 

• MoD had bifurcated the capital procurement budget for 2020-21 between domestic and foreign capital procurement routes. 
• Government has targeted to reach a turnover of USD 25 billion by 2025 through indigenously manufactured defence products and also expects to export products worth $5 billion. 

Benefits of indigenisation of defence 

• Boosts indigenisation of defence production  
• Reduces fiscal deficit (India is second-largest arms importer in the world) 
• Indigenisation in defence is important to national security  
• India can generate FOREX by exporting defence equipment 
• This could lead to innovation and R&D in the defence sector 
• Steps towards achieving self­-reliance goal 

Steps taken: 

3 facilities were inaugurated – Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and BEML’s (Bharat Earth Movers Limited) Industrial Design Centre at its Bangalore Complex 

The three facilities include – 

1. manufacturing facility for sighting devices for T­90 Tanks at the Opto Electronics Factory, Dehradun,  
2. automated assembly line for the production of Pinaka Rockets at the Ordnance Factory, Chandrapur and  
3. assembly and testing facility of Stabilised Remote Controlled Gun (SRCG) at the Ordnance Factory, Tiruchirappalli