The Department of Defense added 108 more items to its existing list of 101 armaments banned for import to give a further boost to independent arms production. The list of negative imports for defense articles has now increased to 209.
“As in the first list, special attention has been paid to the recurring import substitution of ammunition in technology and manufacturing capabilities,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The move will give indigenization a boost, with the active participation of both the public and private sectors, in order to achieve the goals of independence and the promotion of arms exports.
The first import ban list with 101 articles was reported in August 2020 to meet the Modi government’s goal of achieving “AtmaNirbhar Bharat” and promoting indigenization in the defense sector.
The negative import list includes systems, sensors, weapons and ammunition such as helicopters, mini-UAVs, mine-protected vehicles, armored wheel platforms, tank engines, next-generation corvettes, border surveillance systems, anti-tank guided missiles launched by helicopters.
The ministry said in a statement that all 108 items will now be sourced from indigenous sources under Defense Acquisition (DAP) 2020 provisions. This import ban will be implemented between December 2021 and December 2025.
Of the 108 points, 49 will be implemented from December 2021 and the rest over the next four years. The ministry also said the second list will focus on weapons or systems currently under development or testing and likely to be translated into future orders.
The government’s import embargo aims to bolster domestic production as the new defense policy targets arms exports of Rs 35,000 billion over the next five years.
The Ministry created the second list after several rounds of consultations with the government and private industry to assess the future capabilities of Indian manufacturing.
Helicopters, NextGen corvettes, airborne early warning and control systems (AEW & C), medium power mountain radar, MRSAM weapon systems and other items will meet the requirements of the Indian armed forces, the ministry said.
(Edited by Vivek Dubey)
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