Determined to make India a manufacturing hub for world class systems, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said here on Saturday all the major countries will have to build the weapons within the country.
The defence minister said the message to friendly countries including Russia, US and France is : "Come Make In India, Come Make for India and Come Make for the world".
Making this assertion here during the annual convention of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry(FICCI), he said India has very clearly conveyed to the US, Russia, France and many of its partner countries that military platforms and equipment required by the Indian armed forces to deal with myriad security challenges have to be manufactured in the country.
He also took a dig at Pakistan without naming it that God has given India some neighbours who do not feel good seeing its growth and that the one born out of the partition is becoming weak worrying about India's development.
Rajnath said most of the countries in the world are friends of India, including the US, Russia and France. "We have told every friendly country that we want to produce the military platforms, weapons and ammunition in India itself keeping in mind the security of the country," he said.
"We have conveyed this message to the US, Russia, France and others as well and we do not hesitate to communicate this message," he added. Citing an example, Rajnath said following his talks with French Defence Minister Florence Parly on Friday, it was agreed that a major company will produce "an engine" in India. It will be a joint venture with an Indian company under the strategic partnership model. He, however, did not elaborate.
While India maintains friendship with these countries but at the same time will not hesitate to push for the production of key platforms on Indian soil, the minister said.
"We will maintain the friendship but at the same time make it clear that whatever military equipment, weapons and ammunition are needed have to be produced in India," Rajnath said adding “I get a positive response from them."
Referring to the government's decision to stop import of 209 military equipment, he also hinted that the items under the list may touch 1,000. Import was stopped last year to promote the Indian industry.
The defence minister also talked about the need for "fair competition" between private and public sector companies and described the corporatisation of the over 200-year-old Ordnance Factory Board as the biggest reform in the defence sector after Independence.
"At present, India's defence and aerospace manufacturing market is worth Rs 85,000 crores. I believe it will increase to one lakh crore in 2022," he said.
