STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY DEFENCE PRODUCT

Several policy initiatives and reforms have been taken by Government in the past few years to encourage indigenous design, development and manufacture of defence equipment, there by promoting self-reliance in defence manufacturing in the country. These initiatives, inter-alia, include according priority to procurement of capital items from domestic sources under Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020; Notification of four ‘Positive Indigenisation Lists’ of total 411 items of Services and three ‘Positive Indigenisation Lists’ of total 3,738 items of Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), for which there would be an embargo on the import beyond the timelines indicated against them; Simplification of Industrial licensing process with longer validity period; Liberalisation of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy allowing 74% FDI under automatic route; Simplification of Make Procedure; Launch of Mission DefSpace; Launch of Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) scheme involving start-ups & Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs); Implementation of Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order 2017; Launch of an indigenisation portal namely SRIJAN to facilitate indigenisation by Indian Industry including MSMEs; Reforms in Offset policy with thrust on attracting investment and Transfer of Technology for Defence manufacturing by assigning higher multipliers; Establishment of two Defence Industrial Corridors, one each in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu; Opening up of Defence Research & Development (R&D) for industry, start-ups and academia with 25 percent of defence R&D budget; Progressive increase in allocation of Defence Budget of military modernisation for procurement from domestic sources, etc.

Till date, a total of 68 projects at total cost of Rs 287.4 crore have been sanctioned under TDF Scheme, out of which DRDO’s share is Rs 250.12 crore. A total fund of Rs 58.87 crore out of the DRDO share of Rs 250.12 crore have been released.

State/UT & No. of Projects sanctioned

Andhra Pradesh - 1

Assam - 1

Delhi - 2

Haryana - 3

Karnataka - 14

Kerala - 4

Maharashtra - 14

Odisha - 3

Punjab - 1

Rajasthan - 1

Tamil Nadu - 9

Telangana - 9

Uttar Pradesh - 5

West Bengal - 1

As reported by the Press Information Bureau of India.