Making arms in India? Examining New Delhi’s renewed drive for defence-industrial indigenization

ABSTRACT

When it comes to states arming themselves, it has become axiomatic among scholars of comparative defence industries that go-it-alone production is no longer an option for most. The processes associated with defence-industrial globalization combined with the ever-rising costs of producing leading-edge weapons systems present huge disincentives for autarky in armaments. Against these strong headwinds, however, India has recently launched, as part of a broader, multi-sector initiative called Make in India, a renewed effort to achieve greater self-reliance in armaments production. This article first places India’s recent defence indigenization efforts within wider discussions about states’ armament strategies and trends in global arms production. Secondly, it contextualizes the drivers behind New Delhi’s latest attempts to transform itself from leading arms importer to major producer (and significant exporter) against the backdrop of past efforts which have yielded little but disappointment. Third, it explicates the main facets of the current strategy for defence-industrial indigenization and gauges its chances for success. To preview the main findings, we argue that self-reliance in armaments via indigenous production will almost certainly continue to allude India because of systemic, structural and technological constraints.

KEYWORDS:

• India
• defence industry
• self-reliance
• Make in India
• defence-industrial strategy
• autarky
• arms exports
• arms production

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1. For the purposes of this article, “Make” refers to military products are largely developed, designed and manufactured in India. The maintenance and expansion of the defence industry’s (private and public) indigenous R&D, design and production capabilities are the primary objectives of Make in India as it relates to the defence sector (Bitzinger 2015, p. 543).

2. Information taken from SIPRI: http://armstrade.sipri.org/armstrade/page/values.php.

3. http://makeinindiadefence.gov.in/pages/strategy-for-defence-exports.

4. The authors are grateful to an anonymous reviewer for highlighting this point.

5. Indeed, India still reportedly spends only 2.4 percent of its GDP on defence ($66.5billion) – admittedly a rapidly growing figure given India’s rapid economic growth – but, in dollar terms and in economic size still far below strategic competitors such as China ($250billion).

6. The authors thank one anonymous reviewer for the example of South Africa’s recruitment of Gerald Bull to develop a world-class, long-range artillery program in the late 1970s and 1980s.

7. An original equipment manufacturer (OEM) traditionally is defined as a company whose goods are used as components in the products of another company, which then sells the finished item to users.

8. DRDO is a network of more than 50 laboratories which are deeply engaged in developing defence technologies covering various disciplines, like aeronautics, armaments, electronics, combat vehicles, engineering systems, instrumentation, missiles, advanced computing and simulation, special materials, naval systems, life sciences, training, information systems and agriculture. Presently, the DRDO is backed by over 5000 scientists and about 25,000 other scientific, technical and supporting personnel. See: https://www.drdo.gov.in/drdo/English/index.jsp?pg = genesis.jsp.

9. Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (Ministry of Commerce and Industry) and Department of Defence Production (Ministry of Defence), Defence Manufacturing Sector: Achievements Report (New Delhi: Indian Government, 2017), p. 4. Accessed online: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-Tv7_upCKANRmtia05TUWsxRms/view.

10. Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (Ministry of Commerce and Industry) and Department of Defence Production (Ministry of Defence), Defence Manufacturing Sector: Achievements Report (New Delhi: Indian Government, 2017), p. 3. Accessed online: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-Tv7_upCKANRmtia05TUWsxRms/view.

11. For instance, in 2015 India exported select avionics for Malaysia’s Su-30 MKM fighters, which are similar to India’s own Su-30 MKIs, and the two countries agreed to set up a “Su-30 forum” in November 2015 for exchanging information on training, maintenance, and technical support.

12. The phrase “metal-bashing” to describe DPSU activities is borrowed from Bitzinger (2011).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ash Rossiter

Ash Rossiter is Assistant Professor of International Security at Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, UAE.  His academic specializations are at the nexus of technology and international security, the changing character of war and conflict, and the shifting geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific Region

Brendon J. Cannon

Brendon J. Cannon is Assistant Professor of International Security at Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, UAE. His research interests include the international relations and security of the western Indian Ocean region, particularly the Horn of Africa, and the Indo-Pacific partnership of India, Japan, Australia and the USA. His publications have appeared in African Security, Terrorism and Political Violence, The Journal of Strategic Security, and African Security Review. His forthcoming co-edited book is entitled Competition and Conflict: Confronting Indo-Pacific Realities (Routledge 2019).