NEW DELHI: At an industry event on Thursday during which the chiefs of the Air Force and Navy raised the issue of indigenisation of defence production, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh highlighted that Make-in-India is an essential component of national security.
While addressing the CII Annual Business Summit, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh lamented the delays in the implementation of defence projects.
"Timelines is a big issue; that is where the 'vachan' (commitment) part comes in. Once a timeline is given...not a single project that I can think of, has been completed on time," he said.
"So, this is something where we have to look in, why should we promise something which cannot be achieved," he asked.
"While signing the contract itself, sometimes, we are sure that it is not going to come up. But, we just sign the contract and see what can be done after that...obviously then the process gets vitiated," he said.
The IAF chief stated that there were times when the force had doubted the Indian industries but things have "changed quite a bit" over the last decade.
"There were times when we were always doubting the Indian industries that they could not give us the return that we want. We were looking outward more. But over the last decade, things have changed quite a bit," he said.
"We realised that there are a lot of opportunities that we have within India. Also, the current situation in the world has made us realise that Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) is the only solution. We have to be now ready to be future-ready," he added.
Referring to Operation Sindoor, the Air Chief mentioned that this war was won by the whole of nation approach and that it has given a clear idea about what the country needs in future.
"The character of war is changing. Every day, we are finding new technologies coming in. Operation Sindoor has given us a clear idea of where we are headed and what we need in future," he said.
He added that a lot of work needs to be done to realign our goals as well. he emphasised the growing production capacity of the nation and noted that it is possible to achieve our objectives.
"AMCA-advanced medium combat aircraft-has been cleared for even participation by private industry, which is a very big step, and that is the kind of confidence that the nation has in private industry today and I’m sure this is going to pave the way to bigger things coming in the future," he said.
Indian Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi said that the character of warfare has undergone a rapid change and is continuing to do so.
"Firstly, the lines between war and peace are increasingly blurred. Secondly, the commercial technologies democratise warfare, making it available to non-state actors. Finally, moving into the era of precision, where highly accurate capabilities and in large numbers both remain important for us," he said.
He added, "We also know that non-traditional threats like acts of terror can spiral into a wider conflict. The use of non-contact warfare along with space and cyber domains to wage a conflict with no ceasefire is a new reality."
Speaking earlier to the industry captains, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh termed make-in-India as an essential part of the national security. He also mentioned that the recent decision of letting private industry also join hands as part of India’s fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme execution model was intended to bolster indigenous defence production capabilities.
"Make-in-India is an essential component in our national security and it played a key role in India’s effective action against terrorism during Operation Sindoor," Rajnath Singh as he was addressing the Inaugural Plenary of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Annual Business Summit here on Thursday.
The Defence Minister termed the Execution Model for AMCA programme to build fifth generation fighter aircraft in India as a bold and decisive step, which will take the domestic aerospace sector to greater heights.
"Under the AMCA project, the plan is to develop five prototypes, which will be followed by series production. It is a key milepost in the history of the Make-in-India programme," he said.
The Defence Minister highlighted the success of Make-in-India during Operation Sindoor, he stated that the Indian Armed Forces would not have been able to take effective action against terrorism in Pakistan and PoK if the nation had not strengthened its indigenous defence capabilities.
Rajnath Singh reiterated that PoK is a part of India and the people who got geographically and politically separated will, sooner or later, voluntarily return to India.
The Defence Minister, to highlight the increasing defence production and the important role being played by the defence sector in India’s growth journey. enumerated the feats achieved due to the initiatives taken by the Government in the last decade.
"10-11 years ago, our defence production was approx. Rs 43,000 crore. Today, it has crossed the record figure of Rs 1,46,000 crore, with a contribution of over Rs 32,000 crore by the private sector. Our defence exports, which were around Rs 600-700 crore 10 years ago, have surpassed a record figure of Rs 24,000 crore today," he said.
He added, "Our weapons, systems, sub-systems, components, and services are reaching around 100 countries. Over 16,000 MSMEs, associated with the defence sector, have become the backbone of the supply chain. These companies are not only strengthening our self-reliance journey, but are also providing employment to lakhs of people."
Rajnath Singh added that, today, India is not only producing fighter aircraft and missile systems, it is also getting ready for New Age Warfare Technology.