With the defence exports target set at Rs 35,000 crore in the next five years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says that India failed to utilise its full potential post-independence and is the largest arms importer. Speaking at the inaugural session of the DefExpo 2020, Modi said that “After independence, the country did not use capabilities and remained focused on imports.” About plans to turn into a manufacturing hub for the military platforms, the Prime Minister said that there is newfound energy in the defence manufacturing in the country. “Exports in the last two years has crossed Rs 17,000 crore as compared to Rs 2000 crore in 2014.”
According to him there are plans to conceptualise a long term integrated defence and the focus will be mostly on start ups and Micro, Medium and Small Enterprises (MSME). Around 200 defence startups are expected to come up in the country which will help in pushing indigenisation efforts in the defence sector. “The manufacturing in the defence sector will help in making us more self reliant and will enable us to help friendly countries in the region.”
In the presence of defence Ministers and service chiefs of 38 countries and 1,028 companies, including 172 foreign firms, he said that “India has also been a trustworthy partner of peace and its ambitions in the defence sector are not directed towards anyone.” Security agencies and getting more and more dependent on technology to counter security challenges.
On the joint ventures being created to manufacture military hardware in India, Modi announced that the investment guidelines have been simplified by the government and in the next five years it is expected to attract Rs 17,000 crore Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in defence sector. “From 217 defence licenses being issued in 2014, the number has gone up to 4560 and pieces of defence equipment being manufactured in India include equipment like artillery guns, light combat aircraft, submarines, aircraft carrier,” he added.
Lucknow is hosting the DefExpo for the first time and the theme is ‘India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub’ with a focus on ‘digital transformation of defence’. According to him, “Cyber threats, misuse of technology, terrorism are an enormous challenge to the planet .”
In his address he also talked about the importance of Artificial Intelligence and that a roadmap has been created to encourage the usage of artificial intelligence in the defence sector. The government has plans to develop around 25 products which are associated with artificial intelligence in the defence sector.