Given recent delays in Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL) delivery of TEJAS MK-1A fighter jets to the Indian Air Force (IAF), the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence has called on India to increase its domestic production capabilities in order to lessen its dependency on foreign suppliers.
A U.S. company’s delay in delivering engines was blamed for these delays, underscoring the risks of relying on foreign original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for vital defence supplies.
The committee stressed that in order to properly handle unforeseen security concerns, India’s armed forces must be outfitted with modern platforms.
It urged the Defence Ministry to gradually raise domestic production capacity to “strategically acceptable levels.” The committee insisted that this approach is essential for India’s long-term security needs, albeit acknowledging that the quest for independence has occasionally caused delays.
The committee suggested increasing financing, improving infrastructure, and providing more human resource assistance to Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) in order to promote research and development (R&D) initiatives.
These steps are intended to promote greater self-sufficiency in India’s defence industry and hasten the development of cutting-edge defence technologies.
The main objective is to establish a strong local defence industry that can satisfy demands for national security while lowering reliance on outside vendors.
