India is looking to maximise its share of indigenous equipment in the armed forces to bolster its military might. This is in line with PM Narendra Modi's vision of making the country one of the biggest military powers in the world through the domestic manufacturing route.
"Without going into the specifics, we are looking at a wide range of our military capabilities through the Make in India or Aatmanirbharta route," Indian Army chief General Manoj Pande said at the Aero India air show and aviation exhibition in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
He said that the Army is initially looking at empowering an infantry soldier to carry out tasks on a battlefield in terms of protection, increasing situational awareness, giving him better surveillance capability, ability to fight at night using Made-In-India equipment.
General Pande further said that the army will soon induct stronger armour on tanks that can operate at night. "We are looking at a future-ready tank, which we want to be night enabled. We are also looking at better protection and better situational awareness," he said.
Speaking of India's artillery strength, General Pande said: "We are working on a range of capabilities, starting with a mounted gun, improving the precision and engaging the target at very long ranges. We are also working to improve our capability to strategically lift our artillery from one sector to another."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 14th edition of the five-day Aero India on Monday in Bengaluru. While addressing the people during the inauguration, he said, "The sky of Bengaluru is becoming a witness to the capability of New India. Bengaluru's sky is giving a testimony that the new height is the truth of New India. Today, the nation is touching new heights and even crossing it."
Last year, PM Narendra Modi said that defence and aerospace are two important sectors at an 'atmanirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant India). He said that by 2025, India would surpass $25 million in the defence manufacturing segment.
India is working defence corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to boost India's defence manufacturing capabilities.