Giving a push to Indian public sector undertakings (PSUs) and the industry to attain self-reliance quickly, the Government has banned import of 928 items thereby saving Rs 715 crore. These items will be procured from the Indian industry.
This was the fourth such list of items to be issued in the last two years restricting import of weapons and or systems or sub-systems, Defence Ministry officials said here on Sunday. Giving details of the latest ban, they said the fourth list is in continuation of the previous three that were released in December 2021, March 2022 and August 2022 respectively. These lists contain 2,500 items which are already indigenised and 1,238 (351+107+780) items which will be indigenised within the given timelines.
Of 1,238, some 310 items (1st list- 262, 2nd list- 11, 3rd list - 37) have been indigenised, so far. They said in order to promote ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in Defence and minimise imports by Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), the Ministry of Defence has approved fourth Positive Indigenisation List of 928 strategically-important Line Replacement Units (LRUs)/Sub-systems/Spares & Components, including high-end materials and spares, with import substitution value worth Rs 715 crore.
The DPSUs will undertake indigenisation of these items through different routes under ‘Make’ category and in-house development through the capabilities of MSMEs and private Indian industry, thereby providing impetus to the growth in economy, enhanced investment in Defence and reduction in import dependence of DPSUs. In addition, this will augment the design capabilities of the domestic defence industry by involving academia and research institutions. The DPSUs will soon initiate procurement action for these notified items.
The four lists restricting imports covers sensors, ammunition, towed artillery guns, short-range surface-to-air missiles, cruise missiles and offshore patrol vessels, next-generation corvettes, airborne early warning systems, tank engines and radars.
The government wants to reduce dependence on imported military platforms, and has decided to support domestic defence manufacturing.
The defence ministry has set a goal of a turnover of USD 25 billion ( Rs 1.75 lakh crore) in defence manufacturing in the next five years which includes an export target of USD 5 billion ( ?35,000 crore) worth of military hardware.
