NewDelhi: Modi government today released the third list of over 101 arms and military systems which will be banned for import for the next five years and to be developed indigenously in India. This prohibited list was released by the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday, in order to provide thrust to the Indian armament industry under “Atmnirbhar Bharat’.
Which speaking at the occasion, the Defence Minister, said the banned list it mostly covers arms sensors, arms and ammunition, patrol vessels, helicopters, anti-ship & anti-radiation missiles. He said it was matter of pleasure our defence industry since it shows India’s fast pace progress of our self-reliance in the defence sector.
In May 2021 the Modi government approved restrictions on the import of about 108 defence equipment and systems such as early warning systems, tank and radars and next-generation corvettes in a phased timeline of four-and-half years.
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Today’s banned list of arms and equipment will not only promote self-reliance in the defence sector. But it will also pave way for our indigenous public and private defence sector to achieve both self-reliance and export opportunity, Singh said.
Singh said ‘India’s self-reliance in the defence sector doesn’t mean working in isolation but we will encourage technology transfer so the best global technology firms come to work with Indian partners.
He emphasized that in In the last few years, our government has taken a series of measures to promote indigenous defence manufacturing. Though India is a peace-loving country, but we have to face tough challenges from our neighbours on our western and northern borders. One of our neighbours comes in the top ten largest arms importers list. To safeguard the nation and its strategic reserves; India is expected to spend about USD 130 billion (one billion is equal to Rs 100 crore) for the defence procurement in the next five years.
On one hand, Indian government aims to achieve self-reliance in defence production while on the other hand it wants country export at least USD 5 billion (Rs 35,000 crore) worth of military equipment to other nations.
