Sitharaman exhorts Indian defence manufacturers to tap export markets

Defence minister says Centre will provide all necessary handholding to domestic defence manufacturers to scale up production and match up to stringent quality control norms of the export market

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday exhorted the indigenous defence manufacturing industry to look beyond the procurement by Indian forces to tap the lucrative export market for growth.

Underscoring the need to balance indigenisation with export centric manufacturing approach for greater economic vitality and sustainability, Sitharaman said the Centre would provide all necessary handholding to the domestic defence manufacturers to scale up production and match up to the stringent quality control norms of the export market.

She informed the Centre had already relaxed standing norms of procurement to spur innovation and procure such defence wares, although not in the requirement