India will have strategic autonomy, says Mahindra Defence's S P Shukla

The move will give a boost to local manufacturing, be a huge employment generator and check currency imbalances, he said

Narendra Modi’s self-reliant India campaign. The embargo on imports is planned to be progressively implemented between 2020 and 2025. S P Shukla, chairman-Mahindra Defence and Mahindra Aerospace, and chair-Defence Committee, FICCI, tells Shally Seth Mohile why the announcement is a significant step forward. The move, he points out, will give a boost to local manufacturing, be a huge employment generator and check currency imbalances. For companies like Mahindra, it opens up avenues to participate in defence procurement at a much larger scale. Edited excerpts:

What gives you the confidence that the thrust for Make in India with regards to import