The government of India's vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence manufacturing aims to reduce import dependence and build a resilient globally competitive industrial capability in partnership with friendly foreign countries, said Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on Tuesday, even as he observed that it is not possible to achieve 100 per cent self-reliance in defence.
Speaking at an event to mark the collaboration between Adani Defence and Italian major Leonardo to establish an integrated helicopter manufacturing ecosystem in India, which is expected to boost 'Make In India' efforts and to make the country more self-reliant, he said, "When we talk about Atmanirbharta, we realise it cannot be achieved immediately."
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"You can probably never have 100 per cent self-reliance; what you can do is to take steps towards doing more and more of 'Make In India' and ensure that the import dependence is minimised, although it can never be entirely eliminated," he said.
The defence secretary pointed out that this is why there is often a false duality in India that "either you are importing or you have to rely only on Indian design and manufacturing everything in India.
The tie-up between Adani Group and Italian major Leonardo is expected to address military demands and boost India's self-reliance in helicopter production.
The partnership will target the Indian Armed Forces' requirements, particularly for Leonardo's advanced AW169M and AW109 TrekkerM helicopters.
"The collaboration will deliver phased indigenisation, robust maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) capabilities, and comprehensive pilot training," a release from Adani Group said.
"For decades, our armed forces have protected the nation across landscapes that test the limits of human endurance... Our responsibility is to ensure that the capabilities they rely on evolve with the same unwavering resolve. Our partnership with Leonardo respects this responsibility... Together, we will build an ecosystem on Indian soil that brings manufacturing, assembly, training, and world-class support into one cohesive whole," Jeet Adani, Director Adani Defence and Aerospace, was quoted as saying.
Adani Defence & Aerospace CEO Ashish Rajvanshi said with the Indian Armed Forces projecting demand for over 1,000 helicopters in the coming decade, this partnership realises the vision for sovereign manufacturing.
