MoD to Introduce Import Embargo on 101 Items: Rajnath Singh

As per the announcement, the embargo will be planned progressively between 2020 and 2024.

File picture of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

(Photo: PTI)

In a major push for self reliance, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday, 9 August, said that the Ministry of Defence will now introduce an import embargo on 101 items including artillery guns, assault rifles, corvettes, sonar systems, transport aircraft, LCHs, and radars.

The minister said that the embargo will be planned progressively between 2020 and 2024 and will boost indigenisation of defence production.

“Our aim is to apprise the Indian defence industry about the anticipated requirements of the armed forces so that they are better prepared to realise the goal of indigenisation.”

Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister

The list, which has been prepared after several rounds of consultation with the stakeholders, also includes wheeled Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) with “indicative import embargo date of December 2021, of which the Army is expected to contract almost 200 at an approximate cost of over Rs 5,000 crore,” the minister said.

Singh also added that the contracts worth almost Rs 4 lakh crore will be placed upon the domestic industry in the next six to seven years. He also said that more such equipments will be identified, in consultation with the stakeholders.

“MoD has also bifurcated the capital procurement budget for 2020-21 between domestic and foreign capital procurement routes. A separate budget head has been created with an outlay of nearly Rs 52,000 crore for domestic capital procurement in the current financial year.”

Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister

Singh further said that all the necessary steps are being taken to ensure that the timeline for the production of the equipment in negative imports list is met.

Here’s a fun list of all the items.