Sangita Reddy, President, FICCI has welcomed the announcement of the list of 101 items embargoed for imports in Defence starting December 2020. The announced policy measures will provide much needed impetus to make India 'AtmaNirbhar' in defence technology and products. The industry is looking forward to more items being added progressively to this list so as to deepen the process of indigenisation by leveraging the capabilities of Indian industry, she noted.

The decision to introduce an import embargo on at least 101 items signals the Government's resolve to push forward the VocalforLocal campaign. Manufacture and production of high technology weapon systems like artillery guns, assault rifles, corvettes, sonar systems, transport aircraft, LCHs, radars etc. in India will have cascading benefits to upstream industries, especially the MSMEs. While liberalisation of the sector has allowed several MSMEs to enter the market, the lack of demand from the Indian Government, the sole customer for the Indian industry, has meant the sector is yet to realise its full potential.

NITI Aayog member and former Director-General of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Vijay Kumar Saraswat on August 09 hailed the step taken by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to impose import embargo on 101 defence items. “It is a very major initiative of GOI and particularly the Ministry of Defence in line with the announcement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making the country self reliant under Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” said VK Saraswat. He added that the list of 101 equipment which have been given today will indicate the capability of the country to manufacture, design and develop. “The initiative taken by the Centre certainly goes a long way in promoting the development, production and indigenizing of the capability which exist in the country today.”

Agencies