Indian army to cease ammunition imports: The Economist

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Economic Times
9 May 2024 17:40

Traditionally reliant on imports, the Indian Army has now identified local sources for approximately 150 out of the 175 types of ammunition it uses.

An Indian army soldier performs a mock drill along the Line of Control or LOC between India and Pakistan during a media tour arranged by the Indian army in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch sector, India, Saturday, Aug.12, 2023 (AP Photo/Channi Anand)

The Indian Army is set to halt the import of ammunition by the next fiscal year, as reported by a senior defense procurement official to the Economic Times.

According to the report, the decision reflects a strategic move towards bolstering domestic production capabilities to meet the army's needs.

Traditionally reliant on imports, the Indian Army has now identified local sources for approximately 150 out of the 175 types of ammunition it uses.

Major General VK Sharma, the Indian Army’s Additional Director General (Procurement), stated, "In the next financial year, we will not have any import of ammunition, other than in cases where the quantity is too low and it is not economical for the industry to manufacture them."

Currently, the army annually procures ammunition worth 60-80 billion rupees ($718-960 million), all of which will now originate from local sources, Major General Sharma added. He noted that only 5-10% of the requirements are currently met by foreign suppliers.

The move follows a series of emergency procurements over the last eight years, where New Delhi sought to fill its stocks of spare parts and ammunition. These actions were prompted by various security incidents, including the terrorist attack in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir in 2016, airstrikes against Pakistan in 2019, and skirmishes with Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh in 2020.

The Indian Army has outlined a comprehensive roadmap for ammunition procurement over the next decade with the aim of reducing dependence on imports and cultivating indigenous manufacturing capabilities, particularly given the ongoing border tensions with China and the conflict between Russia and West.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh had previously cautioned against over-reliance on imports of military hardware, stressing the importance of strategic autonomy. Despite being the world’s largest arms importer, India is keen to bolster its defense exports, targeting $5 billion annually by the financial year 2024-25.

During the last fiscal year, exports of weapons systems surged to an all-time high of 210 billion rupees ($2.5 billion), registering a remarkable 32.5% growth. Notably, the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, jointly developed by India and Russia, has emerged as a key export item, with India recently delivering its first batch to the Philippines.

India's move to scale up locally-made ammunition production is said to align with its broader agenda of enhancing self-reliance in defense and expanding its footprint in global defense markets.