Only with a major overhaul of the bureaucratic establishment and the government machinery as a whole, will the highly mechanised lion representing the spirit of the ‘Make in India’ campaign, begin to roar!
INDIA RANKS AMONG THE top ten countries in the world in terms of military expenditure. Today, India is equipped with the third largest armed forces in the world and despite the sizeable indigenous aerospace and defence industry, both in the public and private sector, around 65 to 70 per cent of the requirement of military hardware, continues to be met with through imports. India is also the second largest importer of weapon systems, having been overtaken by Saudi Arabia only a couple of years ago. High level of dependence on foreign sources for military hardware not only results in the depletion of foreign exchange reserves in financing expensive imports, more importantly, it also imposes crippling dependence on original equipment manufacturers (OEM) abroad for maintenance as well as upgrade or replacement of obsolescent inventories.
A STAGNANT SECTOR
In the post-independence era, on account of policy imperatives, the private sector was kept out of the domain of the Indian aerospace and defence industry which remained under the control of the central government. However, the government controlled aerospace industry did create elaborate infrastructure and successfully undertook production of fighter and transport aircraft as also rotary-wing platforms for the Indian armed forces as also for limited civilian application. But the so-called “production” was largely “assembly” of the platform using kits received from OEMs. There was no real transfer of technology or development of skilled human resources to enable the nation to leapfrog to indigenous production of sophisticated platforms. The aerospace and defence industry therefore de facto remained stagnant over the years.
LAUNCH OF ‘MAKE IN INDIA’ SCHEME
Denne historien er fra February 2017-utgaven av SP’s Aviation.
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Denne historien er fra February 2017-utgaven av SP’s Aviation.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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'ZEITENWENDE' - THE TURNING POINT!
In an exclusive interaction, Chief of Luftwaffe (German Air Force) Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz speaks with Consulting & Contributing Editor Manish Kumar Jha, in New Delhi on a comprehensive range of issues concerning German forces' modernisation, NATO's role, military acquisitions, and Germany's presence in the Indo-Pacific building a new era of military cooperation with India.
REWRITE THE RULE BOOK
The success of the Bhartiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Bill 2024 hinges on the Ministry of Civil Aviation's ability to translate its vision into reality through efficient administration and regulation.
DRIVING SUSTAINABLE AND ADVANCED AVIATION TECHNOLOGIES
Over seven decades of FIA, the airshow still remains significant, underscoring the industry's collective drive towards sustainability, Al-based solutions, advanced air mobility, strategic partnerships, significant orders and groundbreaking technologies
STEERING ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The UDAN scheme has been a game-chan¢ger for India’s aviation industry, democratising air travel, stimulating economic development, and fostering regional connectivity becoming a cornerstone of India’s aviation strategy
THE HIGH-FLYING PATH TO A $5 TRILLION ECONOMY
A robust commercial aviation sector is propelling the Indian economy forward by serving as a catalyst for economic growth, driving tourism, trade, employment, and infrastructure development.
ROLE OF THE IAF IN NATION BUILDING
IAF's global reach to ensure India's ability to conduct defence diplomacy and humanitarian operations, highlight its crucial role in safeguarding and supporting the nation way beyond the traditional military functions.
EXPANDING INDIA'S GALACTIC HORIZONS
India's space economy is set for significant growth as the nation continues to be a major global player, driven by momentum in the private sector, new industry entrants, substantial investments, and supportive policy initiatives.
PRATT & WHITNEY EXPANDS INDIA OPERATIONS
New center will employ 150 aerospace experts and drive customer service and operations support
ADVANCING THE INDIAN AIR FORCE TRAINING CAPABILITIES
A new chapter has been introduced in the history of the Indian Air Force (IAF) with the inauguration of the Weapon Systems School (WSS) by Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari, Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), at Air Force Station Begumpet, Hyderabad on July 1, 2024.
PIPER J-3 CUB: TRUSTED TRAINER
When the Civilian Pilot Training (CPT) programme was established in anticipation of US involvement in World War II, the Piper J-3 Cub was chosen as the primary training aircraft. Ultimately, 75 per cent of all CPT pilots trained on a Cub