India’s Defence Modernization: Challenges and
Prospects
The developments in India’s immediate neighbourhood over the
past decade have led India to take a close look at her foreign and security
policies. There is a widely-sensed need for the rapid modernization of the
Indian Armed Forces, which is being reflected in some of the key initiatives
that have been taken up by the Indian government so far, such as ‘Make in
India’, so as to address the complex security challenges that emanate from its
hostile neighbourhood.
However, the pace of modernization of
the Indian Armed Forces over the years has been rather slow and,
technologically, they are not where they should have been. Indigenous
development of modern defence hardware continues to remain a concern, and
Indian policy aspiration for defence self-sufficiency remains largely elusive.
The aim of the research is to highlight how the Indian Armed Forces are
responding to the emerging security scenario in the region and beyond, and to
address issues in defence policy-making, progress with defence modernization and military effectiveness.
The Indian defence industry suffers from
major policy, structural, and cultural challenges that beset a
military-industrial complex that continues to struggle in terms of delivering
modern defence hardware that could have added to the greater Indian defence
indigenisation and production. Experts see a number of systemic flaws in the
Indian defence establishment and civil-military relations, which present major
challenges for India’s military modernization aspirations. As India’s defence
requirements are likely to increase in the foreseeable future because of the
dynamic security environment, indigenous development of modern defence hardware
and technology is likely to remain a top priority.
As India is an aspiring great power (and
it is believed that great powers have great arms industries), its ability to
acquire autarky and self-sufficiency, in terms of the development of advanced
defence hardware and technology, to fulfil the requirements of its Armed Forces
would be crucial so as to address its national security concerns.
Jai Hind!!
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