Cannot cross thin line to impinge on freedom of forces: Nirmala at Defexpo

Sitharaman said she could only tell the Indian armed forces to procure from indigenous companies "as much as possible"

The Ministry of Defence’s (MoD’s) draft Defence Production Policy (DProP) spells out the goal of making India self sufficient in 13 key weapons – including fighters, warships, submarines, and tanks – by 2022 and, eventually, one of the world’s top five defence manufacturing countries.

Yet, at Defexpo 2018, which opened in Chennai on Wednesday, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated she had only a limited ability to induce the military to use indigenously designed and manufactured weaponry.

Responding to a question at a packed press conference, Sitharaman said she could only tell the Indian armed forces to procure from indigenous companies