Continuing its aggressive efforts to strengthen defence, the Union government’s Defence Acquisition Council has cleared procurement of military hardware to the tune of Rs 2.38 lakh crore in the latest round.
The ongoing conflict in West Asia is likely to alter the rules of the game, as Iran has successfully pursued asymmetrical warfare involving a combination of cheap drones and precision missiles to take on the collective might of the US and Israel. The use of drones, which was evident in Operation Sindoor, too, marked a shift towards autonomous, tech-driven warfare.
India has been factoring in future trends and accordingly tweaking its defence acquisition policy. Military strategists have been advocating a combination of traditional platforms to thwart enemy attacks, and asymmetric, disruptive technologies and hardware for mounting an attack on the adversary.
One of the major buys will be the procurement of S-400 missile systems, the effectiveness of which was proven during Operation Sindoor. A part of the country’s air defence system, these can be used to target not only missiles but also aircraft and drones.
These Russia-made systems will provide protection to areas bordering Pakistan and China. The decision to buy strike aircraft will add firepower to the Indian Air Force in providing close air cover and attacking ground targets. Besides new acquisitions, some – like the engines of fighter aircraft Sukhoi Su-30 – need overhauling.
The country also needs to replace its ageing fleet of military transport aircraft and orders will be placed for acquiring 60 planes.
The Indian army, too, will get an air defence tracked system, armour-piercing tank ammunition, high-capacity radio relay, Dhanush gun system, and runway-independent aerial surveillance system.
The government has been particular in prioritising indigenous procurement as part of the self-reliance campaign. The avowed objective of draft Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2026 and its 2020 predecessor is to bolster not only self-reliance through enabling nurturing and growing a greater and empowered indigenous defence manufacturing base but also to expedite and accelerate timelines.
But indigenisation faces some constraints and challenges such as dependence on technology transfers and licenses instead of innovation through R&D, tendency in the private sector to import and assemble rather than manufacture locally, and capacity to be competitive in a global market dominated by mega corporations.
Having an excessive and narrow focus on the defence sector alone for indigenisation can be due to compulsions. But in the long run, having an innovation ecosystem that fosters dual-use innovations that serve both civilian and defence requirements is critical for all-round development.
Dealing with a belligerent Pakistan and a wily China requires battle-ready forces armed with state-of-the-art defence systems. As the nature of conflicts are rapidly changing and new technologies like artificial intelligence are transforming military strategies, Indian defence needs to be nimble and agile.
The defence preparedness needs to be complemented by effective diplomacy aimed at deterrence and reduction of friction and its snowballing to larger conflicts.
With China, India’s pragmatic and realistic approach seems to be working. Domestic political considerations and compulsions apart, the China-Pakistan and US-Pakistan axes will hinder any possibility of improvement of relationship, leaving no option but to continue increased spending on defence to both address the tactical gaps and also to make it technologically and strategically future-ready.