India Aims At Drone Superpower Status, Bridging Capability Gaps: Defence Secretary | Profit Exclusive
Over the next two years, India will focus on nullifying these gaps through targeted procurement, said Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh to NDTV Profit.
India is working to bridge capability gaps in its defence ecosystem, with a sharp focus on procurement and policy continuity, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said, as the country pushes to become a drone superpower and scale its domestic manufacturing base.
"I didn't find too many manufacturers making military-grade defence equipment. There are some capability gaps—we will be working hard to fill those," Singh said, adding that the government has empowered the services with emergency procurement powers to address immediate operational needs.
Over the next two years, India will focus on nullifying these gaps through targeted procurement. The Defence Secretary assured that the country will continue to provide a level-playing field for private players in the sector.
Imports: An Exception, Not The Norm
Singh noted a significant shift in procurement patterns. "Almost 65% of our procurement used to be imports a few years back. Last year, 81% of the Rs 2.09 lakh crore worth of contracts were with domestic manufacturers," he said. This is the highest annual value of defence contracts awarded, and double the previous record. "The import trend has now reversed. This is the result of policy triggers we have put in place to ensure imports become the exception and not the norm," he added.
India has already achieved self-reliance in key defence segments like artillery guns, armoured vehicles, and missiles such as the BrahMos and Akash, Singh said, calling them "cutting-edge, global benchmark products." He reiterated that the "bulk of the production will be done in India."
While traditionally led by the private sector, Indian defence exports are now also being driven by public sector companies. "Indian companies are generating a lot of export orders. The supply chain has good visibility—what they want is assurance of these orders continuing," Singh said.
He added that the government expects to continue with defence procurements worth at least Rs 2 lakh crore in the coming year.
ALSO READ
HAL, Mishra Dhatu And Other Defence Stocks In Limelight As Army Set For Rs 30,000-Crore QRSAM Boost
Brokerage firm Antique Broking, in its latest note on Wednesday, expressed a similar sentiment while remaining bullish on India’s defence sector, buoyed by a robust order pipeline, and growing self-reliance.
With India targeting defence capital outlay worth Rs 16 lakh crore through domestic procurement by 2030, the brokerage sees meaningful upside in a select set of defence-focused firms, maintaining a 'buy' stance on Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., Bharat Electronics Ltd., Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd., and PTC Industries Ltd.
