Indigenisation blues

The draft defence production policy is unrealistic

The defence ministry has released a new Defence Production Policy 2018 (DProP 2018) which envisions transforming an India that currently imports more than 60 per cent of its defence needs into one of the world’s top five defence producers. It targets 2025 for becoming self-reliant in 13 weapons platforms, including fighter aircraft, warships, tanks, missiles and artillery, which constitute the bulk of our imports. By 2025, investments of Rs 700 billion in defence manufacture are supposed to generate an annual turnover of Rs 1.7 trillion in defence goods and services. Of this, Rs 350 billion will be exported, effectively multiplying