India puts domestic industry at heart of new military equipment orders – Defense News

India puts domestic industry at heart of new military equipment orders  Defense News

India will source nearly all of $11.6 billion worth of recently approved military hardware from domestic manufacturers, the government said. NEW DELHI — India will source nearly all of $11.6 billion worth of recently approved military hardware from domestic manufacturers, underscoring New Delhi’s push to reduce dependence on foreign arms suppliers as it modernizes its armed forces. The Defense Acquisition Council headed by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh granted “in principle” approval, which is essentially a green light to begin the procurement process. “Approximately 98% of procurements will be made from the Indian Industry,” a Defense Ministry statement said on Monday. The ambitious goal to source nearly all of the latest round of military acquisitions domestically comes amid a significant shift in government policy.

After years of relying heavily on state-owned firms for defense production, India, the world’s fifth largest military spender, has encouraged a larger role for the private sector as part of efforts to build a more dynamic military industrial base. The latest military equipment approvals span all three services and cover a broad range of equipment. For the Army, they include advanced light helicopters, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear reconnaissance vehicles, mine-laying vehicles, high mobility vehicles and portable bridges to cross rivers and difficult terrain. The Navy will get new surveillance radars to replace aging systems at naval