What India needs to do to plug its defence gap

Source– The post is based on the article “What India needs to do to plug its defence gap” published in The Indian Express on 12th November 2022.

Syllabus: GS3- Security

News- The article explains the challenges associated with defence manufacturing in India. It also tells about the achievements of India in this sector.

What are the issues related to defence manufacturing in India?

There is a high dependency index foreign suppliers for major military inventory items. This dependency is a challenge to national security and dilutes India’s quest for credible strategic autonomy.

Global level crises like Covid and Russia invasion of Europe that disrupted the global supply chain and weakening rupees adds to challenges faced by the defence sector.

India does not yet have the domestic competence to fully design and manufacture any significant combat platform and. It is dependent on the foreign supplier for the critical components.

India is now going to manufacture the C295 transport aircraft in a collaboration with AirBus. But  the reality is that the engine, avionics, landing gear, etc, will come from abroad and the integration will be done by the Indian entity.

India has not invested enough in the national research and development (R&D) effort. As per data collated by the World Bank, India has been able to allocate only 0.66% of GDP towards R&D in 2028, while the world average is 2.63 per cent. Israel spent 5.34% and the USA 3.45%.

India missed the industrial design and manufacturing bus, a national competence demonstrated by nations like South Korea and China, over the last five decades.

Technological advances have made the design and manufacture of the semiconductor chip the new currency of national prosperity and military power.India is yet to acquire a strong credentials in this field.

What are the achievements of India in defence manufacturing?

Our defence exports have grown eight times in the last five years. We are exporting defence materials and equipment to more than 75 countries of the world. In 2021-22, defence exports from India reached about Rs 13,000 crore. The government has now set a target of Rs 40,000 crore.

India has commissioned indigenously-designed and built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. It fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile from the INS Arihant. It awarded the manufacture of a military transport aircraft (C 295) to a major private sector entity;

The induction of the made in India Prachand LCH and the conclusion of a deal with Russia to manufacture a Kalashnikov-type light weapon in India are other achievements.