What are the defence items on which India has imposed an import ban?

In a major boost to the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, the Defense Ministry decided to impose a ban on 101 imported items to boost indigenisation of defense production. Announcing the decision on Twitter, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh announced that the Defense Ministry has prepared a list of 101 items whose importation will be prohibited beyond the indicated timetable.

Rajnath Singh said that after the ban on certain defense imports, it is estimated that contracts worth almost Rs 4 lakh crore will be placed upon the domestic industry within the next 6 to 7 years. Rajnath Singh said that Tri-Services contracted approximately 260 schemes for these items at a cost of approximately Rs 3.5 lakh crore between April 2015 and August 2020.

A separate budget head of Rs 52,000 crore has been created for domestic capital procurement in the current financial year to boost the country's defense industry.

Among the 101 defense items that will not be imported from now on are Artillery guns, light combat helicopter, assault rifles, corvettes, radars, wheeled Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs), transport aircraft, and other high technology weapons. Rajnath Singh announced on Sunday that all of these products will be manufactured locally.

Here is the list of the items that have been put under embargo by the defense ministry:

1.120mm Fin Stabilised Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot (FSAPDS) Mark II Ammunition

2.7.62x51 Sniper Rifle

3.Tracked Self Propelled (SP) Gun (155mm x 52 Cal)

4.Towed Artillery Gun (155mm x 52 Cal)

5.Short Range Surface to Air Missiles (Land variant)

6.Shipborne Cruise Missiles

7.Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) (Pinaka Variant)

8.Simulators Presenting Smart Ranges And Multi-Function Targets

9.Battalion Support Weapons Simulators

10.Container-based Simulators for Live Fire Training

11.Tailor-made Simulators for Counter Insurgency (CI)/Counter Terrorism (CT) based Training

12.Force-on-force Live Tactical Simulators / Infantry Weapon

13.Tank Simulators (driving, as well as, crew gunnery)

14.155mm/39 Cal Ultra-Light Howitzer

15.Successor of Flycatcher &Upgraded Super Fledermaus (USFM) / Air Defence Fire Control Radar (ADFCR)

16.Component Level Repair Facility for Tank T-90

17.Shipborne Close in Weapon System

18.Bullet Proof Jackets

19.Ballistic Helmets

20.Missile Destroyers

21.Multi-Purpose Vessel

22.Offshore Patrol Vessel

23.Next-Generation Missile Vessels

24.Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Crafts

25.Water Jet Fast Attack Craft

26.Ammunition Barges

27.50ton Bollard - Pull Tugs

28.Survey Vessels

29.Floating Dock

30.Diving Support Vessels

31.Pollution Control Vessels

32.Anti-Submarine Rocket Launchers

33.Shipborne Medium-Range Gun

34.Torpedo Tube Launcher for Light Weight Torpedoes

35.Magneto-Rheological Anti Vibration Mounts

36.All variants of Depth Charges

37.Shipborne Sonar System for Large Ships

38.Hull Mounted Submarine Sonar

39.Short Range Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft

40.Anti-Submarine Rocket

41.Chaff Rockets

42.Chaff Rocket Launcher

43.Integrated Ship’s Bridge System

44.Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) MK I A - Enhanced Indigenised Content

45.Light Combat Helicopters

46.General Purpose Pre Fragmentation Bombs between 250-500 Kg

47.Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) for Transport Aircraft

48.Ground-Based Mobile ELINT System

49.Transport Aircraft (Light)

50.GSAT-6 Satellite Terminals

51.Aerial Delivery Systems for Transport Aircraft

52.Digital Tropo Scatter/LOS Communication System

53.Low Level Transportable Radar

54.High Power Radar (HPR)

55.CBRN Detection & Monitoring System

56.CBRN Decontamination & Protection System

57.Parachute Tactical Assault (PTA)- G2

58.Dragunov Upgrade System

59.PKMG Upgrade System

60.Simulators for A Vehicles / B Vehicles

61.Simulators for Towed and Self Propelled Guns of Air Defence

62.Simulators for Correction of Fire by Observers

63.Military trucks of 4x4 and above variants: 12x12, 10x10, 8x8, 6x6

64.Fixed Wing Mini UAVs

65.500 Ton Self Propelled Water Barges

66.Software Defined Radio (TAC) for IN

67.Next-Generation Maritime Mobile Coastal Battery (Long Range)

68.Advanced Landing Ground Communication Terminals (ALGCTs)for AGLs

69. Field Artillery Tractor (FAT) 6X6 for Medium Guns

70.Wheeled Armoured Fighting Vehicle (AFV)

71.Light Machine Gun

72.125 mmFin Stabilised Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot (FSAPDS)New Generation Ammunition

73.Assault Rifle 7.62 x 39mm

74.30 mm Ammunition for Infantry Fighting Systems

75.Mine Fragmentation

76.Mine Anti-tank

77.Mine Anti-Personnel Blast

78.Multipurpose Grenade

79.Inertial Navigation System for Ship Application

80.Conventional Submarines

81.40mm UBGL (Under Barrel Grenade Launcher)

82.Lightweight Rocket Launcher

83.155 mm Artillery Ammunition

84.EW Systems

85.Material Handling Crane 2.5 to 7.5 Tons (Vehicle Mounted)

86.GRAD BM Rocket

87.30MM HEI/HET

89.EW Suit for MI-17 V5

90.Communication Satellite GSAT-7C

91.Satellite GSAT 7R

92.Basic Trainer Aircraft (BTA)

93.Expendable Aerial Targets

94.Small Jet Engines with 120kgf thrust

95.Light Low-Level Terrain Radar (LLLWR)

96.Close-in Weapon System (Land-based)

97.23 mm ZU Ammunitions

98.30mm VOG 17

99.Electronic Fuses for Artillery Ammunitions

100.Bi- Modular Charge System (BMCS )

101.Long-Range – Land Attack Cruise Missile

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A total of 69 items out of 101 on the Indian Defense Ministry's embargo list will not be imported as of December 2020.

The import ban will be implemented between 2020 and 2024. Rajnath Singh said that over time, more such equipment for import embargo would be identified.

Rajnath Singh said in a tweet on Twitter: "The Ministry of Defense has prepared a list of 101 items that there will be an import ban beyond the indicated timeline against it. This is a great step towards self-reliance in defense. #AtmanirbharBharat ".

“The 101 Prohibited List consists of not only simple parts, but also some high-tech weapon systems such as artillery guns, assault rifles, corvettes, sonar systems, transport aircraft, LCHs, radars, and many other items to satisfy the needs of our defense services, ”said Rajnath Singh.

"The list also includes wheeled Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) with an indicative import ban date of December 2021, and the Army is expected to hire approximately 200 of them at a cost of approximately Rs 5,000 crore. #AtmanirbharBharat,” Rajnath Singh tweeted.

The defense minister also said the decision would provide an opportunity for the Indian defense industry to manufacture items on the negative list "using its own design and development capabilities or by adopting technologies designed and developed by DRDO to meet the requirements of the Armed Forces ".

Rajnath Singh said that the Defense Ministry had prepared the list of 101 imported items after several rounds of consultations with all stakeholders to assess the current and future capabilities of the Indian industry to manufacture various ammunition and equipment in India.

"Our aim is to inform the Indian defense industry of the expected requirements of the armed forces so that they are better prepared to achieve the targeting objectively," said Rajnath Singh.

The Defense Minister said: "The DMA will remove more of this import ban equipment in consultation with all stakeholders. This will also be noted in the DAP to ensure that no negative import list item is addressed in the future".

Source: Bloomberg

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