Govt open to new ideas
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has stressed that a lot still needs to be done to make India a global defence manufacturing hub despite the private sector participation in the industry.
“Our Government is open to new ideas and is determined to use the energy, entrepreneurship spirit and enterprise of the private industry in the defence sector,” Singh said.
Also, he assured that the Government will make all efforts to remove any roadblocks and work together to achieve the goal of indigenisation and self-reliance in defence sector.
Singh also listed out various far reaching reforms introduced by the Government under the ‘Make in India’ initiative to achieve US$26 billion defence industry by 2025 and provide employment to 2-3 million people.
“We wish to create an ecosystem that provides a platform to both public sector and private sector to work together and contribute to nation building through their strengths and experiences,” he said after flaggin off 51st K9 VAJRA-T Gun from Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Armoured System Complex at Hazira in Gujarat on 16 Jan 2020.
Some of the reforms highlighted by the Minister include setting up of Defence corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu; simplification of industry licensing process; increase in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) cap; steps to promote defence exports; streamlining of Defence offsets policy; establishing Defence Investor Cell; providing Government-owned trial and testing facility to the private sector and schemes for startups and small & medium enterprises to promote innovation.
He also highlighted that the Strategic Partnership (SP) model in the Defence Production Policy will enable private sector to manufacture fighter aircraft, helicopters, submarines and armoured vehicles and emerge as global giants of the defence industry.
Singh commended L&T for ensuring their participation under the SP model.
He noted that the goal of modernisation and indigenisation in defence under ‘Make in India’ has started to take shape.
Singh termed K9 VAJRA-T Gun as the best example of ‘Make in India’ in Defence.
“I have been told that more than 75% of K9 Vajra has been manufactured in India. It is a matter of great pride,” he said
L&T Defence is currently executing the ‘K9 VAJRA-T’ Tracked, Self-Propelled Howitzer Guns program – the contract awarded to the company by Ministry of Defence through global competitive bidding.
L&T has delivered 51 of the 100 orders received to date. fiinews.
