Page 5 - ADT JANUARY 2021 Online Magazine

Mission “THE POLICY AIMS TO ACHIEVE A TURNOVER [ REPORT ]
OF INR1750 BILLION (USD32407.41 MILLION),
INCLUDING EXPORT OF INR350 BILLION, IN
AEROSPACE AND DEFENCE GOODS AND SERVICES
Exports BY 2025.” A senior Defence Ministry official told Asian
Defence Technology.

India, which was hitherto among the top importers of arms, has in
2020 entered the list of top 20 exporters of defence equipment in
the latest SIPRI report. The Indian aerospace and defence industry
is standing up to the demands for self-reliance in arming the Indian
INDIA ENTERS THE BIG LEAGUE, armed forces and also boosting its business by exporting to friendly
JOINS LIST OF TOP 20 EXPORTERS foreign nations, ably aided by policies and faster decision-making
and approvals from the government. “We witnessed a staggering
OF DEFENCE EQUIPMENT 700 per cent growth in defence exports from INR 15.21 billion in
2016-17 to Rs 107.5 billion in 2018-19…an all-time high ranking of
19th in the list of defence exporters in 2019,” Chief of Defence
Jay Menon
Staff General Bipin Rawat said recently during an e-symposium
on 'Catalyzing Defence Exports’.
India’s long-standing ambition of becoming one
of the leading exporters of defence equipment Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had in last August announced a
is slowly, but steadily, becoming a reality. The major policy decision about the imposition of a phase-wise ban on
government has formulated a draft Defence the import of 101 military weapons systems and platforms in order
Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020 to promote the domestic defence industry. “We cannot depend
as an overarching guiding document to provide on foreign governments, foreign suppliers and foreign defence
a focused, structured and significant thrust to products to meet our defence needs. It is not compatible with
defence production capabilities of the country the objectives and feelings of a strong and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’,
for self-reliance and exports. (self-reliant India)” he had said.

ASIAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY January 2021 | 5