Page 20 - ADT SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2022 Online Magazine

2021-22. The major contribution in this growth
has come from India’s increasingly confident
defence private sector. During 2021-22, India’s
defence private sector contributed almost 70
per cent of the country’s total exports.

Apart from the sale of the BrahMos super-  SHOW PREVIEW DEFEXPO
sonic cruise missile system to the Philippines,
India is yet to ring-in a large export sale for a
major defence platform. BrahMos Aerospace
Private Limited (BAPL) signed a contract with
the Department of National Defence of the
Republic of Philippines in January, for supply
of the BrahMos shore based anti-ship missile
system. The BAPL is a joint venture company
of the Defence Research and Development defence products from the domestic resources, the expenditure on
Organisation. In September, it was announced defence procurement from foreign sources has reduced from 46 per
by Indian media, that Armenia had emerged as cent to 36 per cent in the last four years i.e., from 2018-19 to 2021-
the first export customer for the indigenously 22. Between 2018-19 to 2021-22, the MoD accorded its Acceptance
developed Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher of Necessity (AoN) for 162 proposals of defence procurement worth
(MBRL). The order is for two Pinaka MBRL bat- Rs. 251 billion approximately, under various categories of capital
teries, with options for two more. Pinaka is a procurement from domestic sources.
free flight artillery rocket system having a range
of 37.5 km. The rockets are launched from a To further the pursuit of self-reliance in defence manufacturing
multi barrel rocket launcher which has capa- and to minimize import by India’s state-owned defence firms, the
bility to fire a salvo of 12 rockets in 44 seconds. Department of Defence Production, which falls under the MoD
The weapon system was designed and devel- notified two Positive Indigenisation Lists (PIL) of sub-systems/assem-
oped by the DRDO lab, Armament Research & blies/sub-assemblies/components in December, 2021 and March,
Development Establishment (ARDE) in associa- 2022. The 1st list contained 2,500 items, which have already been
tion with HEMRL, VRDE and CAIR. Pinaka rockets indigenized and 351 items which have been taken up for indigeni-
and its ground systems are currently under bulk sation. The 2nd list consisted of 107 strategically important Line
production at Indian ordnance factories, BEML, replacement units/major sub-assemblies. The items are notified
BEL, Tata Power and L&T Defence. The Pinaka with a timeline beyond which there would be an embargo on their
MBRL has been in service with the Indian Army import. Till date, 154 items out of 235 items from the 1st Positive
for over a decade and newer and more accurate Indigenisation List and 4 items out of 107 items from the 2nd Positive
versions with greater range are in development.
Indigenisation List have already been indigenized. 72 items out of
total of 214 items mentioned in the 1st and 2nd PILs have been indi-
Another potential export contender is the indig- genised by India’s state-owned defence public sector undertakings
enously developed ‘Tejas’ light combat aircraft well before their original indigenisation timelines of December 2023,
which is being heavily promoted for export mar- December 2024 and December 2025. The remaining 142 items are
kets by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). being indigenised to meet the timeline of December 2022. Some of
The state-owned airframer responded to a the main sub-systems/ line replacement units (LRUs) indigenised
Request for Information (RFI) received from the include magazine firefighting system for ships, steering gear system
Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), Malaysia in and fin stabilisers with control for frigates, pressurised containers
February, 2019 for Tejas. Subsequently, HAL for Akash SAM systems, systems for the Konkurs ATGMs and electric
responded in October, 2021 to the request for motors, decontamination sets and prism optical instrument for main
proposal (RFP) issued against tender released battle tanks. Beside these items, some critical components include
by the RMAF for 18 fighter lead in trainer – light intermediate castings for helicopter, polychropene rubber band for
combat aircraft (FLIT – LCA). HAL has offered submarines and high-pressure regulating valves for ships.
the twin-seat variant of the Tejas Mk-1A fighter
aircraft for the Malaysian tender. According to To encourage innovation in defence, the MoD launched the
India’s MoD, other countries which have evinced Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) programme in April 2018.
interest in the Tejas fighter jet are Argentina, iDEX is aimed at creation of an ecosystem to foster innovation and
Australia, Egypt, USA, Indonesia, and Philippines.
technology development in Defence and Aerospace by engaging
Industries including Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), Start-
FOCUS ON INDIGENISATION ups, Individual Innovators, Research & Development (R&D) institutes
and Academia and provide them grants/funding and other support
With the Indian Government now making clear to carry out R&D which has potential for future adoption for Indian
its focus on indigenisation and procurement of defence and aerospace needs.

20 | SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2022 WWW.GBP.COM.SG/ADT