Need to reduce dependency on foreign defence equipment makers:

The need of the hour is to progressively reduce India's dependency on foreign defence equipment makers, Union minister Subhash Bhamre today said as he stressed on developing indigenous capabilities in the sector.
He said the government would soon announce a policy under which select private firms would be roped in to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign entities.
"The government has been working on formulating a strategic partnership model for creating capacity in the private industry on a long term basis," Bhamre, who is the minister of state for defence, said.
The minister was addressing a seminar, jointly organised by the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here.

Bhamre said the government had constituted a task force with experts from various fields to recommend criteria and prescribe methodology for the selection of strategic partners.
The report submitted by the task force has been examined at length and the government would be issuing the policy for selection of strategic partners shortly, he added.

Underlining that India was one the largest importers of defence equipment in the world, he said there was a "sizable dependency" on foreign original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) even for defence equipment produced within the country.
"The need of the hour is to progressively reduce the dependency on foreign manufacturers and develop our capabilities," he added.

He also listed a number of policy initiatives taken by the government to promote indigenous development of manufacturing of defence equipment during the last three years.
IAF chief B S Dhanoa said the modernisation plan of the IAF was being pursued with an aim to give impetus to 'Make in India' programme and to beef up the defence manufacturing base.
"We in IAF are keen to see that 'Make in India' initiative gets converted to reality," he said.