Analyse the importance of Atma Nirbhar Bharat in the domain of defence sector.  Trace the steps taken by the Indian government in this regard.

Analyse the importance of Atma Nirbhar Bharat in the domain of defence sector.  Trace the steps taken by the Indian government in this regard. Importance:
  1. It ensures India’s national security regardless of its relationship with major defence hardware.
  2. India’s vital strategic information will be held safely by itself.
  3. It will help boost India’s research and development ecosystem.
  4. It could significantly preserve India’s valuable foreign currency reserves (due to reduced defence imports)
  5. It could increase India’s foreign currency reserves, if it could escalate the export of India’s indigenous defence products to other countries.
  6. It could enable India in near future to emerge as a superpower in the international forum.
  7. Moreover, it could generate more employment opportunities for the Indians, thereby tapping the opportunities emanating from demographic dividend.
Steps taken:
  1. The Defence Acquisition Procedure gives importance to procure Indigenous defence products via Buy (Indian- IDDM) category.
  2. The FDI limit in defence manufacturing under automatic route is raised from 49% to 74%, and upto 100% through government route.
  3. The Ministry of Defence has notified two Positive Indigenisation lists of more than 200 items for which there would be an embargo on its import.
  4. Government has notified the ‘Strategic Partnership (SP)’ Model in May, 2017, which envisages establishment of long-term strategic partnerships with Indian entities through a transparent and competitive process,
  5. Government has established two Defence Industrial Corridors, one each in the States of Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
  6. An Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) on ‘Mutual Cooperation in Joint Manufacturing of Spares and other material related to Russian/Soviet Origin Arms and Defence Equipment’ was signed in September 2019
  7. The Defence Offset Policy leverages capital acquisitions to develop Indian defence industry by roping in internationally competitive enterprise and other ways
  8. Defence Products list requiring Industrial License has been rationalised and manufacture of most of parts
  9. An innovation ecosystem for Defence titled ‘Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX)’ has been established
  10. Defence Investor Cell (DIC) has been created in Feb-2018 the Ministry to support investors in all possible ways
  11. Technology Development Fund (TDF) to promote the participation of Public/Private industries especially MSMEs and startups.
  12. Recent corporatization of Ordnance Factory Board.


POSTED ON 13-10-2021 BY ADMIN
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