Title: India: A global exporter of Defence equipments

Thumbnail: Self-reliance in Defence sector

It is often said that the might of the nation is always adjudged by the power of its Defence Forces. PM Modi has time and again emphasised self-reliance and how Aatmanirbharata in the Defence sector can strengthen the nation.

(Byte of PM Modi on the importance of Defence self-reliance)

On the same lines, India has been manufacturing top-class weapons in the field of defense and these incredible arms have also earned their name abroad as well.

The Government of India’s resolve of ‘Self-reliant India’ is not only further strengthening the country on the global stage, but is also showing the trust of foreign armies towards indigenous equipment made by India.

The best example of this is the cannon named ‘Dhanush’ (Graphics), the engineering marvel designed and manufactured by India. In 1987, the Central Government had bought Bofors from a Swedish company. Now, the same company is buying ‘Dhanush’ from ‘Field Gun Factory’ of Kanpur, India. This gun is considered better than Bofors in both accuracy (accuracy) and consistency (with stability).

(Graphics of Dhaunsh with specification)

The Dhanush gun manufactured in India under “Make in India” is more powerful than Bofors. Its range is 38 km, while the range of Bofors cannon is only 32 km. A cannon is capable of firing 42 rounds in an hour. Due to the weight of less than 13 tons, this cannon can be easily carried to any inaccessible area.

Equipped with a variety of state-of-the-art technology, Dhanush is capable of working perfectly in any weather and environment. 81 percent of the parts in Dhanush cannon are made in India, which is promoting Make in India.

Swedish company to buy super rapid gun mount from India (Graphics)

Furthermore, Swedish company, which makes Bofors, used to buy Super Rapid Gun Mount from Italy earlier, but now it will also buy it from India. The Super Rapid Gun Mount to be used on warships of the Indian Navy has been manufactured under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

On 13 August 2020, the gun was handed over to the Navy for testing. To make this gun, a proposal was given to the factory in the year 2018 by the Navy. The range of this gun is six to seven kilometers.

Swedish firms to invest in India

Recently, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh invited Swedish firms to invest in Defence Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, saying that they can benefit from the unique incentives being offered by the state governments and the availability of a highly-skilled workforce in India.

The Ministry of Defense is also saving crores of rupees by promoting “Swadeshi”. The Central Government has approved 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) for the manufacture of defense products indigenously. Furthern, the policy decisions such as FDI liberalisation and improved ease of doing businesses are attracting top defence companies of the world to have Joint Ventures establishments in India. Hence, strengthening India’s prospect of becoming a global arms exporter.