soumya1989
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Narendra Modi has timely gunned for self-sufficiency in defence production. His statement comes as a morale-lifter. It is a pity that even after 65 years of independence, the Indian armed forces are heavily dependent on imported weapons and equipments. Paradoxically, we can design intercontinental ballistic missile like Agni-V; launch more than 60 satellites, including the Chandrayan, into the space; but we still need to import aircraft & helicopters, artillery guns and even army trucks. Indias defence import Bill, aided by scandalous devalorization of the rupee under Manmohanomics, has bloated in the last few years.
Expenditure on import of weapons/equipments
Serial No. Year Amount(in crore rupees)
1. 2009-10 13411.91
2. 2010-11 15443.01
3. 2011-12 24139.83
4. 2012-13(upto Feb 2013) 25126.1
(Source: Defence Ministers reply in Lok Sabha on Indigenous Defence Production, March 11, 2013)
Drain on Indias foreign exchange is not the only downside of defence imports. It also retards the capacity for technological value addition. This is because India has a tendency to buy off-the-shelf. We might actually be buying yesterdays weapons to fight tomorrows wars.
For almost two centuries, the British had kept India free from invasions. It was an exceptional record when viewed against one thousand years that preceded British rule. Some 2.5 million Indian soldiers participated in the World War II on the Allied side. All ammunition needed for them was produced in Indian ordnance factories. All the 16 ordnance factories in British India fell on the Indian side after partition. Not a single one went to Pakistan.
But the pacifist policies of Nehru negatively impacted Indias indigenous defence production. The ordnance factories took to production of civilian goods. On May 10, 1953 Deputy Defence Minister Satish Chandra informed the Rajya Sabha on the varieties of civilian goods manufactured in ordnance factories. These included rods and tubes, sporting guns and ammunition, leather goods, textile items, steel and cast iron castings, Acetone, steel billets and bars, forgings and die castings etc.
By 1956, railway wagons and carriages were also being produced by the gun factories. Around 3000 ordnance workers were engaged in this task. Other Ministers did not lag behind in placing orders. The value of non-military goods produced in ordnance factories was Rs 80 lakhs in 1952-53, Rs 189 lakhs in 1953-54, Rs 393 lakhs in 1954-55 and Rs 280 lakhs in 1955-56.
The India-China war of 1962 and the India-Pakistan war of 1965 shook and woke us up.
Recent Scams
Defence deals are notorious for the bribery and kickbacks involved. Within a span of the last one year procurement deals of 600 all-terrain trucks from Tatra, 12 VVIP helicopter from AgustaWestland and 197 Advanced Light Helicopters from Eurocopter came under cloud. The cases of VVIP helicopters and Tatra trucks deals are now being investigated by the CBI. The Eurocopter deal has been cancelled.
In April, 2012 the Ministry of Defence blacklisted six companies including four foreign ones for a period of ten years. The CBI has charge sheeted Sudipta Ghosh, ex-Director General of Ordnance for accepting illegal gratification from those companies.
But the cancellation of defence deals leaves us equally vulnerable. They dent our defence preparedness. For instance, the blacklisting of M/s Israeli Military Industries has hit the completion schedule of Nalanda Ordnance Factory. The scheduled retirement of Russian-made Mi-series helicopters used for VVIPs is now in limbo after the AgustaWestland episode. The Government has not dared to scrap the deal. Our fleet of 15 submarines mostly of German origin also needs to be replenished. It took us a long time to zero in on the French-built Scorpene. The negotiation consumed nine long years. But the project is facing time and cost overruns. The first of the six Scorpene submarines would now be delivered after July, 2015 instead of envisaged December, 2012.
Nehruvian pacifism ruined our defence manufacturing capacity | idrw.org
Expenditure on import of weapons/equipments
Serial No. Year Amount(in crore rupees)
1. 2009-10 13411.91
2. 2010-11 15443.01
3. 2011-12 24139.83
4. 2012-13(upto Feb 2013) 25126.1
(Source: Defence Ministers reply in Lok Sabha on Indigenous Defence Production, March 11, 2013)
Drain on Indias foreign exchange is not the only downside of defence imports. It also retards the capacity for technological value addition. This is because India has a tendency to buy off-the-shelf. We might actually be buying yesterdays weapons to fight tomorrows wars.
For almost two centuries, the British had kept India free from invasions. It was an exceptional record when viewed against one thousand years that preceded British rule. Some 2.5 million Indian soldiers participated in the World War II on the Allied side. All ammunition needed for them was produced in Indian ordnance factories. All the 16 ordnance factories in British India fell on the Indian side after partition. Not a single one went to Pakistan.
But the pacifist policies of Nehru negatively impacted Indias indigenous defence production. The ordnance factories took to production of civilian goods. On May 10, 1953 Deputy Defence Minister Satish Chandra informed the Rajya Sabha on the varieties of civilian goods manufactured in ordnance factories. These included rods and tubes, sporting guns and ammunition, leather goods, textile items, steel and cast iron castings, Acetone, steel billets and bars, forgings and die castings etc.
By 1956, railway wagons and carriages were also being produced by the gun factories. Around 3000 ordnance workers were engaged in this task. Other Ministers did not lag behind in placing orders. The value of non-military goods produced in ordnance factories was Rs 80 lakhs in 1952-53, Rs 189 lakhs in 1953-54, Rs 393 lakhs in 1954-55 and Rs 280 lakhs in 1955-56.
The India-China war of 1962 and the India-Pakistan war of 1965 shook and woke us up.
Recent Scams
Defence deals are notorious for the bribery and kickbacks involved. Within a span of the last one year procurement deals of 600 all-terrain trucks from Tatra, 12 VVIP helicopter from AgustaWestland and 197 Advanced Light Helicopters from Eurocopter came under cloud. The cases of VVIP helicopters and Tatra trucks deals are now being investigated by the CBI. The Eurocopter deal has been cancelled.
In April, 2012 the Ministry of Defence blacklisted six companies including four foreign ones for a period of ten years. The CBI has charge sheeted Sudipta Ghosh, ex-Director General of Ordnance for accepting illegal gratification from those companies.
But the cancellation of defence deals leaves us equally vulnerable. They dent our defence preparedness. For instance, the blacklisting of M/s Israeli Military Industries has hit the completion schedule of Nalanda Ordnance Factory. The scheduled retirement of Russian-made Mi-series helicopters used for VVIPs is now in limbo after the AgustaWestland episode. The Government has not dared to scrap the deal. Our fleet of 15 submarines mostly of German origin also needs to be replenished. It took us a long time to zero in on the French-built Scorpene. The negotiation consumed nine long years. But the project is facing time and cost overruns. The first of the six Scorpene submarines would now be delivered after July, 2015 instead of envisaged December, 2012.
Nehruvian pacifism ruined our defence manufacturing capacity | idrw.org
