The Indian Army will use Indian-made equipment and technology during wars as there is a push being given to indigenous solutions for its operational needs, Army chief General MM Naravane said.Speaking at the annual webinar on Army Make Projects 2021, General Naravane said, “Developing indigenous and local capabilities to confront emerging security challenges and reduce our dependence on borrowed technologies is therefore an imperative need.””I truly believe that during conflicts and war like situations, only the indigenously developed technologies will be available to us for full exploitation across diverse domains,” General Naravane said.The Indian Army is undergoing rapid modernisation and is increasingly looking at indigenous option, he said.General Naravane said the government’s initiative of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ in these unprecedented times of the economic downturn has given the much needed national stimulus and a fresh lease of energy to inspire revival of the domestic industry.”Your enthusiastic response and participation in this initiative reaffirms our collective resolve to fight and win future wars with indigenous weapons and equipment,” General Naravane said.General Naravane said that various reforms by the government for promoting self-reliance in the defence sector, like increasing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from 49 per cent to 74 per cent, the two positive lists of 209 items for imports embargo, provision for separate budget for capital procurement of indigenously developed projects, the recent corporatisation initiative of the Ordnance Factory Board and setting up of Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme will have a significant impact in times to come.”We are privileged to be the agents of this change that has the potential to redefine India as a global hub for manufacture of defence equipment,” he said.Gen Naravane asserted that the Army, in particular, is most suited to lead this initiative. “India has an expanding industrial base and we are confident that most of our core requirements of defence equipment can be realised in house,” he said.
