New Delhi, April 29
India’s economic growth, democratic and inclusive governance and ability to stand up to coercion and intimidation to defend its territory are among factors contributing to the rise of its comprehensive national power, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan said on Saturday.
Dependence on imports harmful
Our armed forces depended heavily on foreign OEMs (original equipment makers) for military hardware. I believe such a situation is not sustainable in emerging geo-political environment.
Gen Anil Chauhan, cds
In an address at a think-tank, he also said that achieving self-reliance in the defence sector and reducing import dependency for military hardware was important for India to maintain its strategic autonomy and shoulder new responsibilities commensurate with its emerging stature. His reference to India’s ability to stand up to coercion and intimidation came in the backdrop of a three-year border row with China in eastern Ladakh.
“Our economic growth coupled with our soft power, technological advancements, demographic dividend, democratic and inclusive governance and ability to stand up to coercion and intimidation to defend our territory are contributing to the rise of India’s comprehensive national power,” General Chauhan said.
He also highlighted the importance of self-reliance in defence, saying that reducing import dependency of the armed forces was important for India to maintain its strategic autonomy and shoulder new responsibilities commensurate with its size and economy. Elaborating on the global geopolitical turmoil, General Chauhan said countries like Japan, the UK, Russia, China, Germany, Poland, South Korea and many others were significantly increasing their defence budgets and the situation could lead to a huge disruption in the global supply chains of military hardware.ml
He said there was an opportunity for Indian defence manufacturers to take advantage of the situation. “I can visualise a huge demand for military equipment not only in Asia but also Europe. In such a situation, the indigenous defence ecosystem is the safest bet for us as it guarantees assured supplies,” he said.