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-the-

art 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