Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will travel to Malaysia on an official visit from July 10-11 with a focus on further consolidating bilateral defence cooperation and Enhanced Strategic Partnership.
During his visit, Defence Minister of India Rajnath Singh will hold bilateral talks with his Malaysian counterpart Dato’ Seri Mohamad Hasan, the Ministry of Defence said in a press release. The two leaders will review defence cooperation between India and Malaysia and explore new initiatives to further strengthen the engagements. Rajnath Singh and Dato’ Seri Mohamad Hasan will exchange views on regional and global issues of shared interest. Singh will also call on Malaysia’s Prime Minister YB Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim.
The Ministry of Defence statement said, “India and Malaysia have a common interest in peace and prosperity of the entire region. The two democracies have a robust and multifaceted relationship which has expanded into several strategic areas, including defence and security.”
Both countries are committed to working under the vision of the enhanced strategic partnership established during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Malaysia in 2015, the Defence Ministry statement said.
Earlier this June, Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V Muraleedharan met with Malaysia’s Human Resources Minister V Sivakumar and they agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on opening all sectors to Indian workers in Malaysia.
Taking to Twitter, Muraleedharan stated, “Glad to meet Hon’ble Minister of Human Resources Malaysia H.E. @Sivatronoh in Kuala Lumpur Thanked the Minister & Malaysian government for opening all sectors to Indian workers at par with other foreign workers in Malaysia. Both agreed to expedite signing an MoU in this regard.”
He also met a Member of the Malaysian House of Representatives M Kula Segaran. Following the meeting, Muraleedharan tweeted, “Pleased to meet YB @mkula, National Vice Chairman of Democratic Action Party and other senior members in Kuala Lumpur. Discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations and people-to-people connect.”
During his visit to Malaysia, Muraleedharan also interacted with the Indian diaspora in Kuala Lumpur.” Delighted to interact with the vibrant Indian diaspora in Malaysia during the Pravasi Bharatiya Utsav, hosted by @hcikl. Commended the significant contributions of Indian diaspora to all walks of life in Malaysia & in nurturing India-Malaysia ties,” he tweeted.
MoS V Muraleedharan also attended cultural performances organised as part of an event titled ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Utsav’. During his visit, he met members of the Malaysian Armed Forces Sikh Veteran Association (MAFSVA) in Kuala Lumpur and appreciated their valour and courage.
Muraleedharan tweeted, “Pleased to have met with committee members of Malaysian Armed Forces Sikh Veterans Association (MAFSVA) in Kuala Lumpur. Appreciate their valour and courage.”
During his visit, he also met and interacted with the office bearers of Netaji Welfare Foundation and Netaji Service Centre. The MoS commended their efforts in preserving the legacy of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose in Malaysia. (ANI)
In what would be the first-ever visit of an Indian Defence Minister to the West African nation, Singh will be in Abuja to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President-elect of the country, reports Ateet Sharma
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will spend three days in Nigeria starting Sunday as India continues to deepen its outreach to the African continent.
In what would be the first-ever visit of an Indian Defence Minister to the West African nation, Singh will be in Abuja to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President-elect of the country.
He will also meet top leaders of the country, including the outgoing Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, a day before the swearing-in ceremony scheduled for Monday at Abuja’s Eagle Square.
Hailed as an “important landmark” in building strong bonds of friendship, the visit spotlights New Delhi’s commitment to regional unity under the Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) initiative envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Quite significantly, it is also expected to herald a new era of defence and security cooperation between the two nations as the top leadership of important Defence Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) will be accompanying Singh.
“They will hold meetings with the representatives from the Nigerian industry and the Armed Forces to identify the equipment and platforms, through which the Indian defence industry can support the country’s requirements,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
Nigeria has been grappling with a serious challenge from Islamic terror outfits, including ISIS-West Africa (ISIS-WA) and Boko Haram (BH), especially in its northeast region, for a long time now.
Furthering the narrative of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’, India has offered to fulfil the defence requirements of not just Nigeria but also several African countries which continue to battle conflict, terrorism and violent extremism.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with the troops who participated in the para dropping and other military exercises at Stankna near Leh.
In March, while addressing the ‘India-Africa Army Chiefs’ Conclave’ organised on the sidelines of the second Africa-India Joint Exercise ‘AfiIndex’ in Pune, Singh had assured that India will remain at the forefront of providing training to the Armed Forces of African nations and equipping them with the necessary skills to face the security challenges of the 21st century.
“The Indian defence industry can work with you to fulfil your defence requirements. With the aim to empower our African friends to indigenously meet their defence requirements, we are also committed to sharing our expertise and knowledge in defence manufacturing, research and development,” he said at the event which was attended by army chiefs and representatives of 31 African nations.
India has been contributing significantly to the capacity building of the Nigerian Armed Forces right since its formative years and the Modi government is ready to take this strategic partnership further in years to come through cooperation and co-production in the defence sector.
At the same time, various Indian companies such as state-run defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), Solar Industries, Kanpur-based M Kumar Udyog (MKU), Mahindra Defence, L&T, Bharat Forge, Ashok Leyland, have been keen on expanding India’s defence footprint in Africa.
Both India and Nigeria have also been working on exploring newer research activities and application possibilities in the field of remote sensing of the earth, satellite communication, satellite navigation, space science and exploration of outer space after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) of Nigeria in 2020.
With Nigeria holding the largest natural gas reserves on the continent, New Delhi has been seeking higher crude oil imports from Abuja keeping in consideration the significant expansion in India’s refining capacity.
In a veiled reference to China, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that India is concerned about “complicating actions and incidents that have eroded trust and confidence, and undermined peace and stability” in the region…reports Asian Lite News
Just two days before the 14th anniversary of the dastardly 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, India reminded the world on Wednesday that transnational and cross-border terrorism remains the gravest threat requiring “urgent and resolute intervention” by the international community.
“Indifference can no longer be a response, as terrorism has found victims globally,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told the 9th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Plus in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on Wednesday.
The first ADMM-Plus conducted in-person after two years of virtual meetings was attended by the 10 ASEAN Defence Ministers and their counterparts from the eight Plus countries, namely India, Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States.
Citing last month’s ‘Delhi Declaration’ following the meeting of the United Nations Security Council Committee on Counter-terrorism, the Defence Minister stated that India has taken “serious note” of the developments as it counters the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes – to propagate ideologies, transfer money and recruit supporters.
“Terrorist groups have created interlinkages across continents backed by new-age technologies to transfer money and recruit supporters. The transformation of cyber-crimes into organised cyber-attacks point to the increasing use of new technologies, by both, State and non-State actors,” Singh told the gathering.
He hoped that with participation from 18 countries constituting half of the world’s population together, ADMM Plus can position itself not just as a forum for regional security but a driver for world peace.
The meeting, reminded Indian Defence Minister, is taking place at a time when the world is seeing increasing strife amplified by disruptive politics thus making a peaceful Indo-Pacific, with ASEAN at its centre, more vital than ever for the security and prosperity of the world.
In his address, Singh reiterated that India calls for a free, open and inclusive order in the Indo-Pacific, based upon respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations, peaceful resolution of disputes through dialogue and adherence to international rules and laws.
In a veiled reference to China, Singh said that India is concerned about “complicating actions and incidents that have eroded trust and confidence, and undermined peace and stability” in the region.
New Delhi, he said, stands for the freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce, peaceful settlement of maritime disputes and adherence to international law, particularly, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982.
“We hope that the ongoing negotiations on the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea will be fully consistent with international law, in particular, UNCLOS, and should not prejudice the legitimate rights and interests of nations that are not party to these discussions,” he added.
India also reaffirmed that it remains committed to nurturing practical, forward-looking and result-oriented cooperation with ADMM Plus countries for enhancing the maritime security in the region and the safety of the global commons.
Singh spotlighted that while terrorism continues to remain a big threat, other security concerns that have emerged in the aftermath of the global Covid-19 pandemic cannot be ignored.
“The ongoing geo-political developments have brought the world’s attention to the challenges of energy and food security. As a responsible member of the international community, India has worked with its partners, in extending humanitarian aid and food grains on large scale. If there was ever a time to look at the collective solutions borne from the path of dialogue and diplomacy, it is now,” he stressed to the Defence Ministers from Southeast Asia (ASEAN) and the dialogue partner States.
The talks between Quin and Singh took place days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson agreed on a new and expanded India-UK defence partnership…reports Asian Lite News
British Minister of Defence Procurement Jeremy Quin held talks with India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday focusing on bilateral cooperation in areas such as aviation and shipbuilding.
“Had a wonderful meeting with the UK Minister of Defence Procurement, Mr. Jeremy Quin. We discussed the opportunities available in areas pertaining to aviation, ship building and other defence industrial programmes for both the countries,” Singh tweeted.
Had a wonderful meeting with the UK Minister of Defence Procurement, Mr. Jeremy Quin. We discussed the opportunities available in areas pertaining to aviation, ship building and other defence industrial programmes for both the countries.
The talks between Quin and Singh took place days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson agreed on a new and expanded India-UK defence partnership.
During his visit to India last week, Johnson announced that the UK is creating an Open General Export Licence (OGEL) for India to “reduce bureaucracy and slashing delivery times” for defence procurement and that London will help New Delhi in the co-development of military hardware including indigenous production of fighter jets.
In his letter to both the leaders, Rajnath Singh stated that of the 29 proposals from states and union territories, 12 were accepted, reports Asian Lite News
Putting an end to politics of tableau ahead of the Republic day parade, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday wrote to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Tamil Nadu counterpart M.K. Stalin explaining the reasons for rejection of their states’ tableaux.
Politics of tableau heated up after the Centre rejected the proposals of Kerala, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu tableaux in the Republic Day parade. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on Sunday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention after the Centre rejected her state’s Republic Day tableaux on Subhas Chandra Bose.
In his letter to both the leaders, Rajnath Singh stated that of the 29 proposals from states and union territories, 12 were accepted.
Tableaux Delhi state and others State take part in Republic Day full dress parade rehearsal, at Rajpath in New Delhi, India on Saturday, January 23, 2021. (Source: IANS)
Singh said: “I would like to bring to your kind attention that there exists a well established system for selection of tableaux for participation in the Republic Day Parade, as per which Ministry of Defence invites proposals for tableaux from all States/UTs and Central Ministries/Departments.”
The minister said that tableaux proposals received from various States/UTs and Central Ministries/Departments are evaluated in a series of meetings of the Expert Committee comprising eminent persons in the field of art, culture, painting, sculpture, music, architecture, choreography etc.
“The Expert Committee examines the proposals on the basis of theme, concept, design and its visual impact before making its recommendations. As per the time slot allotted for tableaux in overall duration of the parade, short listing of tableaux is done by the Expert Committee.”
He told Banerjee that West Bengal tableaux were part of 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2021 parades.
Nandi, Naga, Ganesha, Lepakshi to feature in AP’s tableaux (Source: IANS)
He also said that the government has celebrated 2018 Republic Day in honour of Subhas Chandra Bose and this year also the Republic Day celebrations will begin from January 23 marking his 125th birth anniversary.
To Stalin, Singh explained, “The tableaux from the State Government of Tamil Nadu was considered in the first three rounds of meetings. After the third round of meeting, the tableaux could not make it to the final list of 12 selected for participation in the RDP-2022.”
Singh told Stalin that Tamil Nadu had representation in 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021 Republic Day parades.
The defence minister was at Shaheed Samman Yatra in honour of 232 war martyrs of Pithoragarh. The yatra will head from Pithoragarh to Dehradun from where 232 brave hearts gave their lives…reports Asian Lite News.
The ‘new and powerful India’ will give befitting reply to adversaries and will retaliate against any efforts made by them to destabilise peace in the nation, said Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday.
While addressing Shaheed Samman Yatra in Pithoragarh, Singh said that Pakistan makes all efforts to destabilise peace in India but India has sent a clear message to them that we will hit back.
Without naming China, Singh said that there is another neighbour who does not seem to understand things. Hailing Kumaon battalion, he said that he was told 114 jawans, who were martyred, killed over 1,200 Chinese soldiers.
“I went to Rezang La where I was told about the miracle done by 124 jawans of Kumaon battalion. It can never be forgotten. I was told that 114 jawans were martyred, but they killed over 1,200 Chinese soldiers,” Singh said. The defence minister went to Rezang La on November 18.
The defence minister was at Shaheed Samman Yatra in honour of 232 war martyrs of Pithoragarh. The yatra will head from Pithoragarh to Dehradun from where 232 brave hearts gave their lives.
Singh asserted that India wants good ties with its neighbours and has never attacked any country. “India never occupied a foreign territory. Having good ties with neighbours has been India’s culture but some people don’t understand this,” Singh said.
Defence Minister @rajnathsingh addresses the Shaheed Samman Yatra in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh; Says the 'new and powerful India' will give a befitting reply to any efforts made by neighbouring country to destabilise peace in #India. pic.twitter.com/jUnKLuYuOJ
Talking about Pakistan, the minister said that India has given a clear message on the western border that if it crosses its limits, it will just not retaliate on the borders but can even cross over into its territory and do surgical and airstrikes.
He emphasised on the need for an efficient, cooperative and collaborative harnessing of the region’s maritime potential for sustaining a steady path to prosperity, said the Ministry of Defence…reports Asian Lite News.
India is fully determined to protect its maritime interests, while it supports the maintenance of rule-based maritime systems, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday.
“India is committed to respecting the rights of all nations as laid down in the UN Convention on the Law of Seas (UNCLOS), 1982. We are fully determined to protect the legitimate rights and interests of our country in relation to our territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone, while supporting the maintenance of rule-based maritime systems, as mandated under UNCLOS, 1982,” he said.
Singh was delivering the keynote address at the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2021, being held virtually from October 27-29.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s description of the Indo-Pacific as a natural region, where destinies of entities are interlinked, Singh said, the seas are a vital communication link to facilitate transport of goods, exchange of ideas, catalysing innovations and contributing to bringing the world closer.
“Although the Indo-Pacific is characterised by diversity, marked by a multiplicity of cultures, ethnicities, economic models, governance systems and varied aspirations, the oceans remain a common binding link,” he pointed out.
He emphasised on the need for an efficient, cooperative and collaborative harnessing of the region’s maritime potential for sustaining a steady path to prosperity, said the Ministry of Defence.
According to the Defence Minister, while the seas offer abundant opportunities for sustenance and growth of the mankind, they pose challenges such as terrorism, piracy, drug trafficking and climate change.
He called for a cooperative response to these challenges which, he said, has considerable trans-national implications. “There is a need to find convergence of interests and commonality of purpose on maritime issues,” he said.
Sharing his views on the broad theme of IPRD 2021, ‘Evolution in Maritime Strategy during the 21st Century: Imperatives, Challenges and Way Ahead’, Singh said, it dwells upon the region’s past, gauges the present and then arrives at tenets that will form the foundation of maritime strategies for the future.
First conducted in 2018, the IPRD is the apex international annual conference of the Indian Navy and is the principal manifestation of the Navy’s engagement at the strategic-level. The National Maritime Foundation is the Navy’s knowledge partner and chief organiser of each edition of this annual event. The aim of each successive edition is to review both opportunities and challenges that arise within the Indo-Pacific.
Under the broad theme, the IPRD 2021 will focus on eight specific sub-themes. These are:
* Evolving Maritime Strategies within the Indo-Pacific: Convergences, Divergences, Expectations and Apprehensions.
Addressing the Inaugural session of Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue 2021. Watch https://t.co/8Q2bK1NfGZ
* Impact of the Increasing Recourse to Lawfare upon a Rules-based Indo-Pacific Maritime Order.
* Strategies to Promote Regional Public-Private Maritime Partnerships.
* Energy-Insecurity and Mitigating Strategies.
* Strategies to Address the Manned-Unmanned Conundrum at Sea.
Panel-discussions on these sub-themes would be spread over eight sessions on three successive days, thereby providing ample scope for varied perspectives to be considered. The aim is to encourage a free flow of ideas and views.
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh, former Chief of the Naval Staff and Chairman, National Maritime Foundation Admiral Sunil Lanba (Retd), domain experts and policy makers of different countries were present virtually during the inaugural session.
Heurged Indian Navy to maintain the momentum achieved thus far and assured that the steps taken by the government will give it more strength to increase the lethal strike capability…reports Asian Lite News.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday stressed on the need to have a strong Navy due to the country’s increasing dependence on the seas for national development, and for proactive engagement with the world.
Speaking on the last day of the four-day (October 18-21) Naval Commanders’ Conference, he praised Indian Navy to have lived up to expectations of the nation by establishing a visible, credible and responsive presence in the Indian Ocean Region.
He also complimented Indian Navy for providing medical aid to South West Indian Ocean Region countries, as part of Mission SAGAR which is in lines with PM Narendra Modi’s clarion call for Security And Growth for All in the Region; undertaking various HADR Operations in the wake of natural calamities; and providing succour to civil populace during the second wave of COVID-19.
The Defence Minister highlighted that Indian Navy has spent more than two-thirds of the Modernisation Budget in the last five years towards indigenous procurement and out of 41 ships and submarines ordered by the Navy, 39 are from Indian shipyards, which is a testament to the Navy’s commitment to ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.
He urged Indian Navy to maintain the momentum achieved thus far and assured that the steps taken by the government will give it more strength to increase the lethal strike capability.
Addressed the Naval Commanders during the inaugural session of Commanders’ Conference and interacted with them on matters pertaining to the national maritime security.
Rajnath Singh emphasized that P75(I) project would be one of the largest ‘Make in India’ projects and complemented Indian Navy on the successful maiden Sea Trials of the indigenously designed and built Aircraft Carrier ‘Vikrant’ by overcoming challenges, including COVID related imponderables.
The Defence Minister also highlighted training as an effective tool in bolstering naval diplomacy and commended the Indian Navy in providing training to foreign personnel in India for more than four decades.
Further, in keeping with the evolving technological transformation world over in unmanned systems, an Integrated Unmanned Roadmap for Indian Navy was also promulgated by the Defence Minister during the conference. (India News Network)
Of the total amount approved, procurement worth Rs 11,486 crore (87 percent) is from domestic sources…reports Asian Lite News.
The Defence Ministry approved proposals including for Advanced Light Helicopters, guided munition and rocket ammunition valued at Rs 13,165 crore on Wednesday.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) in its meeting held under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for Capital Acquisitions proposals for modernization and operational needs of the Indian Armed Forces amounting to approximately Rs 13,165 cr.
Of the total amount approved, procurement worth Rs 11,486 crore (87 percent) is from domestic sources.
Key approvals include helicopters, guided munition and rocket ammunition.
Looking into the need of the Indian Army for an Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Squadron to improve its integral lift capability to ensure its operational preparedness, the DAC accorded approval of procurement of 25 LH Mark III helicopters from HAL under Buy Indian-IDDMA at an approximate cost of Rs 3,850 crore in keeping with the continued thrust towards ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self Reliant India) and ‘Make in India’.
Giving a boost to Indigenous Design and Development of ammunition, the DAC accorded approval for procurement of Terminally Guided Munition (TGM) and HEPF/RHE Rocket Ammunition under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category at an approximate cost of Rs 4,962 crore from domestic sources.
Other proposals worth Rs 4,353 crore were also accorded AoN by the DAC.
In addition, the DAC also approved a few amendments to the DAP 2020 as a part of Business Process Re-engineering to ensure further ease of doing business for the industry as well as measures to enhance procurement efficiency and reduce timelines.
The Minister informed the House that this is an increase of Rs 21, 415.41crore (23.78%) over BE 2020-21 allocations…reports Asian Lite News.
The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has been allocated over 1 lakh crore to boost development of state-of-the-art platforms, weapon systems and sensors in the country, Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply on Monday.
An amount of Rs 1,11,463.21 crore has been allocated under the Capital Acquisition Head (Modernisation) of Defence Services in BE 2021-22, he said.
The Minister informed the House that this is an increase of Rs 21, 415.41crore (23.78%) over BE 2020-21 allocations.
He further informed that DRDO has taken projects, for development of Products/Systems, in various technology domains.
Some of them are Missiles Systems, Airborne Early Warning & Surveillance, Fighter Aircrafts, Armoured Fighting Vehicles, Bridging and Mining Systems, Guided Munitions, Artillery Guns & Rockets, Small Arms & Ammunitions, Advanced Torpedoes & Advanced Sonar Suite, Electronic Warfare (EW), Long Range Radars, and Artificial Intelligence based Systems among others.
Under the Make in India project, the Minister informed that many significant projects including 155mm Artillery Gun system ‘Dhanush’, Bridge Laying Tank, Light Combat Aircraft ‘Tejas’, ‘Akash’ Surface to Air Missile system, Submarine ‘INS Kalvari’, Inshore Patrol Vessel, Offshore Surveillance Ship, ‘INS Chennai’, Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette (ASWC), Arjun Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle, Landing Craft Utility, Bridge Laying Tank, Bi-Modular Charge System (BMCS) for 155mm Ammunition, Thermal Imaging Sight Mark-II for T-72 tank, 25 T Tugs, Water Jet Fast Attack Craft, Offshore Patrol Vessel, Fast Interceptor Boat, INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, Medium Bullet Proof Vehicle (MBPV), Lakshya Parachute for Pilotless Target Aircraft, etc. have been produced in last few years.
Further, the Minister said that the central government has taken several policy initiatives and brought reforms to promote self-reliance in defence manufacturing. These policy initiatives are aimed at encouraging indigenous design, development and manufacture of defence equipment in the country, thereby reducing dependency on imports in the long run.
Listing the policy initiatives, the Minister in the reply to the Upper House of the parliament, said that DPP-2016 has been revised as Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP)- 2020, which is driven by the tenets of Defence Reforms announced as part of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’.
He noted that in order to promote indigenous design and development of defence equipment ‘Buy {Indian-IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured)}’ category has been accorded top most priority for procurement of capital equipment.
Further, the Minister highlighted that the Ministry of Defence has notified two ‘Positive indigenisation lists’ of 209 items for which there would be an embargo on the import beyond the timeline indicated against them. This would offer a great opportunity to the Indian defence industry to manufacture listed items using their own design and development capabilities to meet the requirements of the Indian Armed Forces, he said.
He said that the ‘Make’ Procedure of capital procurement has been simplified. There is a provision for funding upto 70% of development cost by the Government to Indian industry under Make-IN category. In addition, there are specific reservations for MSMEs under the ‘Make’ procedure.
Short Span Bridging System-10 m designed and developed by DRDO has been inducted into Indian Army by the Chief of the Army Staff, General MM Naravane during a ceremony held today at Delhi Cantt. Secretary DDR&D and Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy was present on the occasion. pic.twitter.com/N8dRGFCDOM
Procedure for ‘Make-II’ category (Industry funded), introduced in DPP-2016 to encourage indigenous development and manufacture of defence equipment has a number of industry friendly provisions such as relaxation of eligibility criterion, minimal documentation, provision for considering proposals suggested by industry /individual etc. So far, 58 projects relating to Army, Navy & Air Force, have been accorded ‘Approval in Principle’, the Minister said.
The Minister recalled that the Government has approved enhanced delegation of Financial Powers under Capital Procurement to levels below the Vice-Chief of Armed Forces in February, 2021. The Government has also approved enhanced delegation of Financial Powers in the Make-I category under which public funding up to 70% of the prototype development cost is available for Design & Development of equipment, systems, major platforms or upgrades thereof.
The Government of India has enhanced FDI in Defence Sector up to 74% through the Automatic Route and up to 100% by the Government Route wherever it is likely to result in access to modern technology or for other reasons to be recorded.
He told the House that the government has established two Defence Industrial Corridors, one each in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The investments of Rs 20,000 Cr are planned in Defence corridors of Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu by year 2024.
Delhi: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launches a portal for ‘Opportunities For Make In India In Defence' via video conferencing facility as part of 'Atmanirbharta Saptah’
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat also attends the valedictory session. pic.twitter.com/ghOUqHvwHS
So far, investment of approx. Rs 3342 crore have been made in both the corridors by public as well private sector companies. Moreover, the respective State Governments have also published their Aerospace & Defence Policies to attract private players as well as foreign companies including Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in these two corridors.
An Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) on “Mutual Cooperation in Joint Manufacturing of Spares, Components, Aggregates and other material related to Russian/Soviet Origin Arms and Defence Equipment” was signed in September, 2019.
The objective of the IGA is to enhance the “After Sales Support” and operational availability of Russian origin equipment currently in service in Indian Armed Forces by organizing production of spares and components in the territory of India by Indian Industry by way of creation of Joint Ventures/Partnership with Russian Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) under the framework of the “Make in India” initiative.
Defence Products list requiring Industrial License has been rationalised and manufacture of most of parts or components does not require Industrial License. The initial validity of the Industrial Licence granted under the IDR Act has been increased from 03 years to 15 years with a provision to further extend it by 03 years on a case-to-case basis.
The Minister said that the Department of Defence Production has notified 46 items under the latest Public Procurement Order 2017 notified by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), for which there is sufficient local capacity and competition and procurement of these items shall be done from local suppliers only irrespective of the purchase value.
Defence Investor Cell (DIC) was created in February 2018 in the Ministry to provide all necessary information including addressing queries related to investment opportunities, procedures and regulatory requirements for investment in the sector. So far, 1182 queries have been addressed by DIC, the minister said in his reply.
