Hi-tech Dornier aircraft, torpedo, protection vehicles among items exported by India in last 3 years: MoD

Dornier aircraft, lightweight torpedos, weapon locating radar, and mortar armoured protection vehicles are among the list of major items exported by India in the last three years. The information on the same has been shared by the Union Ministry of Defence (MoD).

"Major items exported by India in last 3 years include lightweight torpedo, Dornier aircraft, weapon locating radar, fast patrol vessel (FPV), 120mm mortar armoured protection vehicle, 0.338 Lapua magnum sniper rifle, and simulators," the MoD said in a written reply in Lok Sabha on Friday.

India has also imported major weaponry systems as part of its initiatives to modernize the armed forces.

"Major imported weapon systems by India in the last 3 years include THeMIS Unmanned Ground Vehicles, Loitering Munitions, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, armoured vehicles, machine guns, and close-in weapon systems," the Ministry said.

As per official data, India exported around Rs 1,387 crore worth of defence-related items during the first quarter of the financial year 2022-23 (April-June). The value of defence exports during the financial year 2021-22 was Rs 12,815 crore.

Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt shared the information in a written reply in Rajya Sabha in August this year and said that the Government has taken several policy initiatives in the past few years and brought in reforms to encourage indigenous design, development, and manufacturing of defence equipment, thereby promoting self-reliance in defence manufacturing & technology in the country.

The initiatives include priority to the procurement of capital items from domestic sources under Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP)-2020, the announcement of 18 major defence platforms for industry-led design and development, liberalization of foreign direct investment (FDI) policy allowing 74 per cent investment under the automatic route, among several others.

The government also proposed the establishment of two defence industrial corridors -- one each in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

In addition, to minimize import by Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), Department of Defence Production (DDP), the ministry notified two Positive Indigenisation Lists (PIL) of sub-systems/assemblies/sub-assemblies/ components. The 1st list contains 2,851 items out of which 2,500 items have already been indigenized, and the second list consists of 107 strategic important Line Replacement Units/major sub-assemblies.

All these lists have been placed in the public domain on the website of the MoD/SRIJAN Defence portal of the Ministry of Defence. These lists include a wide range of defence products including Light Tanks, Helicopters, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for which there would be an embargo on the import beyond the timelines indicated against them.

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Defence minister Rajnath Singh had in October this year said that the defence exports have grown by 334 percent in the last 5 years and now India is exporting to more than 75 countries.

He had said that the government increased the defence capital outlay in the annual budget of 2021-22 by 18.75 per cent from the preceding year. Singh had said that this was the highest-ever increment in the last 15 years.