India advances import-substitution drive

A new list of components issued by the Indian MoD for local production features more than 120 parts fitted onto the Indian Navy's Kalvari-class submarines, an example of which is seen above. (Indian Navy)

The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 28 August another list of products that it wants local industry to produce in line with its long-running importsubstitution drive.

The MoD said the new list features 780 “strategically important” line replacement units, subsystems, and components used in manufacturing by state-owned defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs).

The list also provides schedules indicating the date from which the MoD to procure the parts from local industry. These schedules range from December 2023 December 2028.

The list includes parts fitted onto Arjun and T-90 main battle tanks, 88 and 66 highmobility vehicles, armoured recovery vehicles, Jaguar ground-attack aircraft, Su-30MKI fighter aircraft, several helicopter types, Tejas light combat aircraft, and Kalvari-class submarines.

More than 120 locally produced parts are required for the submarines, more than any other platform.

Components and subsystems outlined for local procurement include products such as hydraulic and lubrication systems, winches, pumps, switches, brake systems, display units, sensors, and battery systems.

The MoD said all products on the list will be procured through the ‘Make' classification, a procurement designation contained in India's defence acquisition procedure supporting local production.

The list is published on the MoD's online portal, named Srijan, in 2020 to help local industry identify defence manufacturing opportunities. The MoD said opportunities to develop and build the components will be framed by tenders issued by the DPSUs.