Page 29 - NIS English December1-15

are interlinked by shared and secure commons. l With an embargo on import of 101 items, it is
One of the most important elements of India’s estimated that contracts worth almost Rs 4
foreign and security policy is characterised by Lakh Crore will be placed upon the domestic
the ‘Neighbourhood First’. Right from 2014, Prime industry within the next five to seven years.
Minister Narendra Modi invested substantial
personal capital to ensure that this relationship l Several bold policy reforms include increasing
was built and reinforced to create a positive and the limit to 74 per cent for Foreign Direct
progressive partnership. With the exception of Investment through automatic route in the
Pakistan, given its agenda of fuelling terrorism, Defence sector and setting up of Defence
India has improved its relations with all neighbours. corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
What is the Government’s roadmap towards What impact will it have on our future
Aatmanirbhar Bharat campaign in indigenous preparations?
defence production? It will eventually result in lesser dependence

The Defence sector has already been identified on defence imports. No country aspiring to
as one of the core areas to boost ‘Make in India’. be a significant power can depend for long on
The Prime Minister also spelt out his vision of purchasing defence equipment from abroad.
achieving $5 Billion (Rs 35,000 crore) defence What is the status of defence corridor
related exports target to become net exporter of announced in the Budget of 2018-19?
defence equipments in the next five years.
It has been decided to develop one such corridor
TOWARDS THIS END: in Uttar Pradesh and the other one in Tamil Nadu.

l Draft Production and Export Promotion policy The Government has identified Six nodes in Uttar
has been formulated. It aims at providing Pradesh and five nodes in Tamil Nadu for setting
greater visibility of Armed Forces requirements up these corridors.
to the defence manufacturing industry. By During the launch of UP Defence Corridor,
2025, this policy aims at achieving Rs 1.75 investments of over Rs 3,700 Crore were
Lakh Crore in annual turnover. announced, against which investments of Rs 883
Crore have been reported up to August 2020. Also,
l The MoD has bifurcated capital procurement the Government of UP has signed 23 MoUs during
Budget for 2020-21 between domestic and Defexpo 2020 and anticipates an investment of Rs
foreign capital procurement routes. A separate 50,000 Crore in UP Defence Industrial Corridor.
budget head has been created with an outlay Similarly, for TN Defence Industrial Corridor an
of nearly Rs 52,000 Crore for domestic capital investment of over Rs 3,100 Crore were announced
procurement in the current financial year to against which investments of about Rs 808 Crore
promote Aatmanirbhar Bharat in the defence have been reported up to the March 2020.
manufacturing.

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