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India One News
According to officials familiar with the situation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push to increase domestic defense system manufacturing leaves India vulnerable to persistent threats from China and Pakistan.
According to officials, India’s air force, army, and navy can no longer import some critical weapon systems to replace aging ones. According to them, India risks running out of helicopters by 2026 and out of fighter jets by 2030.
Shortly after sweeping to power in 2014, Prime Minister Modi unveiled his “Make in India” policy, which aims to create jobs and reduce foreign exchange outflows by manufacturing everything from mobile phones to fighter jets in India. However, eight years later, the world’s largest importer of military hardware still does not produce enough weapons locally to meet its needs – and government regulations prevent imports.
Depending on the nature of the military purchase or where it is purchased, PM Modi’s program requires between 30% and 60% of homemade components. There were no such caps previously, and India used a system of reinvesting a certain percentage of the purchase price in domestic manufacturing.
As things stand, India’s military readiness is set to deteriorate even further, just as it faces increased threats from Pakistan and China, which have troops deployed toe-to-toe with Indian troops along their Himalayan border following deadly clashes in 2020. According to one source, India will require twice the number of soldiers on the ground to deter aggression along the Chinese border due to its weaker air force.
Bloomberg spoke with several officials from India’s three services for this story. They asked not to be identified to discuss sensitive issues. As things stand, India’s military readiness is set to deteriorate even further, just as it faces increased threats from Pakistan and China, which have troops deployed toe-to-toe with Indian troops along their Himalayan border following deadly clashes in 2020.
