A New Horizon of Policies, Arms and Ties

We as a people have come a long way from our conservative views on defense
and warfare. While our forefathers had envisioned a country truly dedicated to the
cause of non-alignment and non-armament, time and again our democracy has
legislated and amended to accommodate for a rapidly changing age of minds and
mindsets. On 18th May 1974, to the worlds (as well as to the Indians) surprise, our
nation entered the nuclear arms family through Pokhran. We did of course go on to
assure a no first attack policy, which we even hold as of today. Yet, stigma and
bureaucratic red-tapism refused to leave even the defense sector. Scams like the Tatra
trucks penetrated decision making bodies in the Defence ministry. And a dark period of
snail-paced growth and development loomed over our armed forces.
Meanwhile, our heroes made do with Cold War era Mig 21s and ancient heavy artillery
that had already proved to have cumbersome repair procedures during Kargil.
Times change, and along with that, men and countries change as well. Our
government, perhaps under our recently elected and much celebrated Prime Minister
does not take defense (and even offence if needed henceforth) lightly. While Modi has
reaffirmed ties with the US and Europe, he has strategically held on to Indias age-old
friendship with Russia. Despite the fact that in April 2011, India delivered the bad news
to U.S. defense contractors that they werent going to get an estimated $11 billion
contract to deliver 126 multi-role fighter jets to New Delhi in coming years, the recent
trips of Modi and Obama in each others countries and the much publicized chemistry
between them have sent off signals of All is Well, or should we dare to say, All is going
to be Much, Much Better!
The Indian economic system has not failed to showcase its prowess in this
matter either. With the Make In Indias mechanical Lion parading Rajpath on 26th
January, 2015, we re-launched our policies and ascertained our determination in the
ideals of indigenization of Defence Technology. According to the Government, India, the
world's largest arms importer, will spend $250 billion in the next decade to upgrade its
Soviet-era military and narrow the gap with China, which spends $120 billion a year on
defence. The Ministry of Defence has gone out to invite heavy investments by Private
firms in this sector. As said earlier, no longer are we shying away from allowing
Privatization of Military Technology. Our policies and laws are being amended as we
speak to encourage Research and Development in India itself, instead of spending upto
ten times the amount in buying technology from abroad. Within weeks of the new
Governments formation, defence spending was boosted by 12 percent to around $37
billion for the current fiscal year. Plans to allow more foreign investment into local
industry to jump-start production were approved. In the budget unveiled on 10 July, the

government proposed to raise the foreign direct investment (FDI) limit in defence
production to a whopping 49% (from the former 26%) on approval by the Cabinet
Committee on Security, wherever it is likely to result in access to modern and state-of-theart technology. Companies like Punj Lloyd, Bharat Forge, TATA Advanced Systems, Tata
Lockheed Martin, TATA Power SED, Raytheon and Larsen and Toubro showed due
alacrity as soon as these developments took place. Larsen is putting $400 million into a
yard to build ships for the navy, while Mumbai-based Mahindra Group is expanding a
facility that makes parts for planes, including for the air force, and investing in armoured
vehicle and radar production.
Should the common newsreader be alarmed? Perhaps not! But there is definitely much to
ponder upon. Firstly, such quick and hasty indigenization may bring with it concerns of
inefficient, and low quality technology being delivered to meet the already slagging deadlines
for upgradation of military equipment. With a structured quality assurance process not
already in place, this problem may be compounded.
Second, with the onset of these changing policies, several directly and indirectly dependent
industries have chosen to adopt the low-risk wait-and-watch strategy. This will reflect on
recruitments, job availabilities; and in the event of a booming success of the introduced
policies in the future, these companies will be too late to join the race! But one can take
respite in the fact that the Government is taking all measures to reaffirm its resolve to hold
on to these colossal moves through thick and thin, clearly evident from the large awareness
campaigns about Make in India and the high level meetings that our diplomats are having on
a daily basis with multinational firms.
And finally but importantly, shall we be sold to foreign powers? Or even to private giants
within our Country? Shall we be sandwiched by these companies while making strategic
moves? Shall these titans trammel the decision-making of our bureaucrats in foreign policy
and in times of war (God forbid it comes, but come it might), by which time, much of our
arms and ammunitions will be supplied by them (not so different from Uncle Sams fate
through the World Wars, Vietnam, and perchance, even now!). Once again, let us take
respite in the fact that such ownership is limited to a delicate 49% in shares. In the words of
Eric Hoffer, The only way to predict the future is to have power to shape the future.
An importunate matter remains to be assessed The effect of Indias change in policy
on the present geo-politically tantalizing environment of the world. While the country has
chosen to steer clear of the rising crises in the Middle East (which, considering the recent
developments on religious fronts in the country and the promise of Ghazwa-e-Hind, may
soon come knocking at our doorstep) our immediate and apparent threats are yet to be safely
neutralized. Successfully deterring the undue Chinese influence in South Asian waters
remains a priority. Over the years, the United States and Japan have enthusiastically
participated in Project Malabar, the Joint Naval Exercises hosted by the Indian Navy in
international waters. More recently, several other nations kissed by the Indian Ocean and
threatened by possible Chinese monopoly have shown renewed interest in joining these
exercises. As of now, a final list of participating countries for 2015 remains to be declared,
but let us not be surprised should we see new guests this year. Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Singapore, Australia, Bangladesh, besides others, remain subject to the outcomes of Indias
moves in the high-seas. With the induction of INS Vikramaditya, the carrier, the nuclear-

powered ballistic missile submarine INS Arihant (slayer of enemies), and more recently,
INS Kolkata, Indias tactical capability and maneuverability on the Naval front stands
augmented. Meanwhile, we continue to reassert Sino-Asian peace through trade in Made in
China Products and exchanges in the surprisingly fruitful Education business!
Our concerns in Pakistan may seem to have scaled down for now. With a dwindling
American support ever since the fateful night of 2nd May, 2011, that saw the demise of Bin
Laden, and rising internal strife, our sibling of partition has conceivably decided to lay low
temporarily. Needless to say, an open declaration of war may be an absurd concept now, and
India must stand guard against yet another case of 26/11 from enemies with or without the
support of the Pakistani Government (since asserting this has been legally and diplomatically
inconsequential more than often). And one must not discount the attenuated, yet credible
possibility of bodies united with the ISIL soon using an internally troubled Pakistan as a
launch pad for a move into Bharat!
As voiced earlier in this article, our Prime Minister understands International Relations. This
is clearly established though several aspects, predominantly

sustained relations with Russia ("Even if India's options have increased, Russia
remains our most important defence partner", Modi),
upheld peace and trade with China,
and a newfound friendship (and chemistry with Buddy Barrack) in the United States
("I can say today in the years ahead, I look forward to a reformed UN Security
Council that includes India as a permanent member", Obama during his last visit to
India)

Locke wrote, Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is
Thinking that makes what we read, Ours. And hitherto we may wonder, what
consequence can our ideas on policies and decisions, taken by Demi-gods far above us in
the ladder of control, have on the uncanny dynamics of mankinds path in history? But
again, The Greeks used to say, everything can be everything and everything can be
everything else. What remains to be seen is whether the world will evolve from Made in
China to Make in India, whether Ate will finally let slip the dogs of war on our land,
whether our stratagem will take us ahead to the promised glory of an economic
superpower by 2020, or if it will boomerang to cause much battering to an already
delicate yet booming economy. I will however promise my reader, in no uncertain
terms, one thing -- an exciting decade ahead, the outcome of which is sure to create a
permanent percussion in the way the world perceives our great motherland! The only
definite characteristic of Progress is its being Indefinite. Embrace this Progress we must
(no matter how it may present itself), lest we be engulfed by a swamp of deregulation,
degradation and denudation!
Jai Hind!

- Vedant Prusty
22nd March, 2015