Akash missile systems have more than 96% indigenous components.
New Delhi:
In a major move to boost national defense manufacturing, the government on Wednesday approved the export of the locally developed Akash surface-to-air missile system and established a panel to ensure faster approvals for procurement proposals from various countries.
Akash missile systems have more than 96% indigenous components and the weapon can hit targets at a distance of 25 km.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said the export version of the Akash missiles would be different from the system currently deployed with the Indian armed forces.
The decision to export the missile systems was made at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Under #AtmaNirbharBharat, India is growing in its capacity to manufacture a wide variety of missile and defense platforms. The cabinet chaired by Prime Minister @narendramodi ji today approved the export of the Akash missile system and a committee has been created to faster approvals, “Singh tweeted.
He said that India’s defense exports so far included parts and components.
Under the #AtmaNirbharBharat, India is growing in its capacity to manufacture a wide variety of defense platforms and missiles.
The Cabinet chaired by PM @Narendra Modi ji approved the export of the Akash missile system today and a committee for faster approvals was created.
– Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) December 30, 2020
“The export of large platforms was minimal. This Cabinet decision would help the country to improve its defense products and make them competitive globally,” said the defense minister.
Singh said the government intends to focus on exporting high-value defense platforms with the goal of achieving a goal of USD 5 billion in defense exports and improving strategic relations with friendly foreign countries.
The government has primarily focused on boosting national defense production and set a turnover target of Rs 1.75 million lakh crore ($ 25 billion) in defense manufacturing by 2025.
According to estimates, the Indian armed forces are expected to spend around $ 130 billion on capital acquisitions over the next five years.
In May, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman implemented a series of reform measures for the defense sector, including making a separate budget outlay to purchase Indian-made military equipment, raising the FDI cap to 49% 74% in the automatic route and the generation of a year – in a negative sense list of weapons that will not be imported.
In August, Singh announced that India will halt the import of 101 weapons and military platforms such as transport jets, light combat helicopters, conventional submarines, cruise missiles and sonar systems by 2024.
Subsequently, the Ministry of Defense published the first list of elements, with a detailed schedule, the import of which will not be allowed. The decision was aimed at promoting the national defense industry.
In a related development, the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) identified 108 military systems and subsystems such as navigation radars, tank carriers, and missile boats for national industry to design, develop, and manufacture.
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