In a significant stride towards fostering a robust indigenous defence ecosystem under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani, the 47th Vice Chief of the Army Staff, recently visited Hyderabad. During his visit, he engaged with leaders of the defence industry and toured various defence firms, showcasing India’s commitment to enhancing operational capabilities through self-reliance.
Lieutenant General Subramani, who assumed his role as VCOAS on July 1, 2024, after General Upendra Dwivedi, has been instrumental in driving the Indian Army’s modernization efforts. His visit to Hyderabad was part of this broader vision, aiming to align the Army’s strategies with the national goal of achieving Viksit Bharat 2047, a self-reliant and technologically advanced India.
During his visit, Lt Gen Subramani interacted with the faculty and researchers at the Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) and other prominent defence research labs, gaining valuable insights into ongoing technological advancements and initiatives. These engagements underscore the Army’s commitment to leveraging indigenous technology and platforms, a key aspect of the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
The visit highlighted various defence solutions and capabilities, including advanced weaponry systems as seen in the accompanying images. One image showed a high-ranking officer demonstrating the use of a modern firearm, while others featured discussions around sophisticated defence equipment like drones and missile systems, all indicative of the technological strides being made within the Indian defence sector.
This initiative is part of a broader strategy to reduce dependency on foreign imports, as noted by critics in social media discussions following the post by ADG PI – INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) on X. The post and its images have sparked a conversation about the balance between importing foreign technology and promoting indigenous development, with some users questioning the importation of certain equipment despite the push for self-reliance.
The Indian Army’s efforts towards Atmanirbhar Bharat are aligned with recent policy changes that have increased the indigenous content requirement in defence procurement to 50% under the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020, and introduced categories like Buy (Global-Manufacture in India) to encourage foreign OEMs to set up manufacturing in India. These steps aim to ensure a resilient defence supply chain, especially in light of global supply chain disruptions seen in recent conflicts like that between Ukraine and Russia.
Lieutenant General Subramani’s visit and the subsequent social media engagement reflect the Indian Army’s proactive role in not just modernizing its forces but also in promoting India’s defence industry on the global stage, aiming for the country to become an integral part of global defence value chains by 2047.
