Production opportunites worth Rs 8 trillion in next eight years: Army chief

Army Chief General Manoj Pande said that the Russia-Ukraine war has made it critical for countries to establish indigenous production and reduce import dependence

Opportunities of production worth Rs 8 trillion are likely to come up in the next 8 years in a drive to increase indigenisation, Army Chief General Manoj Pande said. According to a report in the Economic Times (ET), the areas that require new technologies like quantum computing and AI-based satellite imagery can offer a viable opportunity for the private sector. 

"In the last three to four years, indigenous contracts have grown three times. In the next seven to eight years, we feel that the potential of the indigenous market will be about Rs 7-8 trillion. It will be a viable market with adequate scope for the defence industry," Pande told ET. 

According to Pande, the Russia-Ukraine war has made it critical for countries to establish indigenous production and reduce import dependence. 

"We are handholding startups and smaller companies by making firing ranges available, easing trial and testing procedures, and making it easier to conduct demonstrations in forward areas so that the industry is able to understand our operating environment better," he added. 

The army is currently processing the fourth round of emergency procurements. It, according to ET, will focus on indigenous products in the army.