![Sample our Politics & International Relations journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5947/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Politics-International-Relations.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
India has expended a great deal of energy and resources to set up a vast defence economy to innovate state-of-the-art weapon systems. However, the performance of the defence economy has been largely suboptimal. An examination of the causes of poor performance exhibits a number of shortcomings related to India’s both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ innovation capacities. Lack of strong support from higher political leadership, meager research and development (R&D) and procurement budgets, inefficiency of the main R&D and manufacturing players, poor management of human resources and a weak acquisition system, among others, leave India’s defence innovation in a poor state.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Correction Statement
This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.
Notes
1 The article builds on author’s previous work. See Laxman Kumar Behera, ‘Defence Innovation in India: The Fault Lines’.
2 For a recent review of India’s defence economy, see Laxman Kumar Behera, India’s Defence Economy: Planning, Budgeting, Procurement and Industry.
3 Peter D. Wezeman et al, ‘Trends in International Arms Transfers 2019’.
4 Ministry of Science and Technology, ‘The National Innovation Act of 2008’.
5 Tai Ming Cheung, ‘A Conceptual Framework of Defence Innovation’.
6 Cheung, ‘A Conceptual Framework of Defence Innovation’.
7 For a detailed understanding of the various ladders of innovation, see Cheung, ‘The Chinese Defense Economy’s Long March from Imitation to Innovation’, 327.
8 Lorne J. Kavic, India’s Quest for Security: Defence Policies, 1947–1965, 136; and Jasjit Singh, Indian Aircraft Industry, 128.
9 DDP is one of the five departments of the MoD, with others being the Department of Defence, Department of Defence R&D, Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare and the newly created Department of Military Affairs.
10 PIB, ‘MoD releases draft Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020’.
11 PIB, ‘MoD’s big push to Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative; Import embargo on 101 items beyond given timelines to boost indigenisation of defense production’ and PIB, 'MoD notifies 'Second Positive Indigenisation List' of 108 items to promote self-reliance & defence exports'.
12 International Institute for Strategic Studies, Military Balance 2013, 262; and MoD, Defence Services Estimates 2013-14.
13 SCoD, 10th Lok Sabha, Defence Research and Development: Major Projects, 4.
14 DRDO, Annual Report 2019, 3–4.
15 Keertivardhan Joshi, ‘Win-Win: How Integration of Civilian and Military Technology Can Boost Defence Indigenisation’.
16 Laxman Kumar Behera, Indian Defence Industry: An Agenda for Making in India.
17 MoD, Annual Report 2018-19, 96.
18 U.S. Department of State, ‘U.S. Security cooperation with India’.
19 Tai Ming Cheung, ‘Remaking Cinderella: The Nature and Development of China’s Aviation Industry’.
20 Laxman Kumar Behera, ‘Defence acquisition procedure 2020: Imperatives for further reforms’.
21 MoD, Annual Report 2018-19, 95.
22 VK Saraswat, ‘Harbingers of Change’.
23 Aeronautical Development Agency, ‘Indigenous Development of Line Replaceable Units (LRU’s) for LCA-Tejas’.
24 MoD, Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020, 130.
25 Ministry of Science and Technology, Research and Development Statistics at a Glance 2019-20, 4.
26 DRDO, DRDO News Letter, 7.
27 SCoD, 10th Lok Sabha, Defence Research and Development: Major Projects, 8.
28 SCoD, 14th Lok Sabha, Defence Research and Development Organisation, 39–40.
29 Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), Union Government (Defence Services): Army and Ordnance Factories, 54–67.
30 Public Accounts Committee, 13th Lok Sabha, Design and Development of Main Battle Tank Arjun.
31 SCoD, 14th Lok Sabha, Demands for Grants 2008-09, 75.
32 PIB, ‘Delay in Manufacturing of Tejas by DRDO’.
33 ‘First LCA squadron to be stationed in Sulur: DRDO’.
34 Ministry of Finance, Economic Survey 2017-18: Vol. I, 119–130.
35 ‘Guarding the “Gold”’.
36 V.S. Arunachalam, ‘In Season of Blame: A Defence’.
37 PIB, ‘Scorpene Submarine’.
38 Ajai Shukla, ‘India to Develop 25% of Fifth Generation Fighter’; and ‘AK Antony to take up issues related to FGFA project with Russia’.
39 Kiran Mk I & Mk II HPT 32 were developed in 1968, 1976 and 1977, respectively. MoD, Annual Report 2010-11, 60.
40 Ajai Shukla, ‘Indian Air Force at war with Hindustan Aeronautics; wants to import, not build, a trainer’.
41 Ajai Shukla, ‘MoD Rejects HAL’s Proposal to Build Basic Trainer’; and PIB, ‘DAC approves procurement proposals worth Rs 8,722.38 crore, including 106 Basic Trainer Aircraft for IAF’.
42 SCoD, 14th Lok Sabha, In-Depth Study and Critical Review of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, 39–41; SCoD, 13th Lok Sabha, Demands for Grants 2003-04, 19th Report, 53; Ajai Shukla, ‘IAF Laments HAL Delays in Delivery of Intermediate Trainer’; and Biswarup Gooptu, ‘HAL to Work for Quicker Clearance of Defence Programmes’.
43 CAG, Performance Audit of Activities of Public Sector Undertakings, 23–25.
44 PIB, ‘Indo-Russian Defence Deal’; and MoD, Annual Report 2004-05, 78.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Laxman Kumar Behera
Laxman Kumar Behera, PhD is Associate Professor at the Special Centre for National Security Studies (SCNSS), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. Prior to joining JNU in 2020, Dr Behera was a core member of Defence Economics and Industry Centre of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) where he specialised on issues related to defence procurement, offsets, defence expenditure, arms production and export control. In his career spanning over 14 years, he has been involved in ten studies for various agencies of the Indian government, including as a member and co-ordinator of three studies for the Ministry of Defence. He is the author of book, Indian Defence Economy: Planning, Budgeting, Industry and Procurement (London: Routledge, 2021).