Indigenous weapons will help us win wars, says Defence Minister Jaitley
May 31, 2017, 12:10 IST
Defence Minister Arun Jaitley has said that India's military preparedness has to be fully backed by weapon systems made in India, along with other indigenous platforms via a healthy competition between both the public and the private sectors.
This, he said would guarantee peace in the region.
"No country can indefinitely win wars and battles only on the strength of trying to buy or import equipment from outside. Its security preparedness would be incomplete if it relies only on that," he was quoted saying.
Jaitley was present at an awards function for defence PSUs, where he was speaking in the backdrop of the recently finalised "strategic partnership (SP)" policy. This policy has been finalised by the government to expand the role of country’s private sector in defence production.
Defence minister also stressed on the need for India to unleash its own potential so that it can become an arms-manufacturing hub.
India imports around 65% of its military hardware and software, owing to sloppy performance by the DRDO and its 50 labs, five defence PSUs, four shipyards, and the 41 ordnance factories. Other than this, the failure to lure the private sector into defence production can also be cited as a reason behind the huge levels of imports.
"Security requirements are dictated by the kind of neighbourhood you have, and obviously in view of the peculiar situation here from a geopolitical point of view, our preparedness is the best deterrent and which is a guarantee for peace as far as our region is concerned," said Jaitley.
Talking of the SP policy, he said, "Healthy competition between defence PSUs and the private sector will bring out the best potential."
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This, he said would guarantee peace in the region.
"No country can indefinitely win wars and battles only on the strength of trying to buy or import equipment from outside. Its security preparedness would be incomplete if it relies only on that," he was quoted saying.
Jaitley was present at an awards function for defence PSUs, where he was speaking in the backdrop of the recently finalised "strategic partnership (SP)" policy. This policy has been finalised by the government to expand the role of country’s private sector in defence production.
Defence minister also stressed on the need for India to unleash its own potential so that it can become an arms-manufacturing hub.
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"Security requirements are dictated by the kind of neighbourhood you have, and obviously in view of the peculiar situation here from a geopolitical point of view, our preparedness is the best deterrent and which is a guarantee for peace as far as our region is concerned," said Jaitley.
Talking of the SP policy, he said, "Healthy competition between defence PSUs and the private sector will bring out the best potential."