CATEGORIES

Abysmal Response To India's FDI Initiatives

Analysing reasons for the lukewarm response of the foreign companies looking at the dynamics of FDI, MAJOR GENERAL MRINAL SUMAN suggests the ways to formulate a system of motivational incentives to channelize foreign investments.

The Missile Age: Is India Ready?

With the rapid technological advancements, missiles are now going to prove decisive in determining the outcomes of wars. And here, India’s position is weak. The missile future, therefore, has to be in the realm of collaborative efforts that lead to useable missile systems which will give India the ability to match China’s achievements in a timely manner. This means talking to the Russians, Europeans, and Israelis about joint programmes with clearly defined timeframes for development, production, and induction into the Indian armed forces, argues AMIT GUPTA

Surveillance From The Sky

The Netra AEW&C is now in its 2nd year of service but additional orders for more aircraft have not been forthcoming, writes C SANTHOSH

Defence Production Unleashing The Potential For ‘Make In India'

Four years have passed since the ‘Make in India’ idea was initiated. However, in the defence sector, it has made hardly any impact, thanks to the absence of a policy framework, unsystematic efforts to promote domestic production and budgetary constraints. But then all is not lost. At least four developments hold a lot of promise for the defence industry, argues AMIT COWSHISH

Procurement Paralysis

Despite the claims of greater indigenisation in defence procurement, India’s arms imports have increased by almost 25 per cent over the last 10 years, reports C SANTHOSH.

“Steps To Give The Right Impetus To Private Industry Must Continue”

RAJINDER SINGH BHATIA, President and CEO (Defence & Aerospace) of Bharat Forge Ltd speaks to Geopolitics on its plans and programmes

India's Battle Tank Upgrade Programmes to Boost Fleet Capabilities

With Arjun's future in doubt and the Indian Army's Armoured Regiments looking for futuristic combat vehicles, it is now clear that the upgrade programmes for the T-72s and T-90s are the first steps taken to ensure the force levels are maintained and the combatedge remains intact

Operational Requirement Leads to Indian ICV Upgrade Programme

Geopolitics takes a look at the Indian Army’s quest to upgrade its Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV) fleet with anti-tank guided missile systems and new engines

India-Russia Gets Into Tight Defence Embrace

The US may have emerged as the single largest defence supplier to India over the last decade with nearly $17 billion worth of deals in its kitty, but Russia has certainly overtaken at just one summit meeting between Modi and Putin

Kashmir Needs Sensitive Handling, Not Hard Power

Historically, popular uprisings have triumphed over force as happened in the Philippines (1986), Czechoslovakia (1989), Poland (1989-90), Ukraine (2004-05), Lebanon (2005), and Nepal (1996-2006). If the Kashmiris were to come out on to the streets in force and demand independence, the security forces would be helpless, but, except for a very small minority, the Kashmiri people do not wish to either join Pakistan or opt for independence from India. The government must act to end the alienation of the people in the Valley, says BRIG. GURMEET KANWAL (RETD.)

Rise Of The Drones: Challenges In India's Military UAV Development

Indian efforts aimed at developing armed UAVs have not met with much success because our UAVs have very limited payloads and our sensors and weapons aren't adequately miniaturised, writes RAKESH KRISHNAN SIMHA

India's New Military Doctrine Shoot First, Questions Later

Having compromised its strategic interests for decades through an overly defensive posture, India now has a more assertive military doctrine, which may well turn out to be a case of closing the barn door after the horses have bolted! Besides, assertive doctrines accomplish little when placed in the hands of zero risk leadership, writes RAKESH KRISHNAN SIMHA

Hal's Aerospace Division Contributes To Isro's Success

HAL's Aerospace Division is progressively enhancing its ability to build and integrate space hardware on behalf of ISRO. As the Indian military's dependence on space based assets grow, there will inevitably arise a need for an entity that specialises in integrating and launching military assets. When that happens, HAL may well be the logical choice

Modi's Defence Budgets A Flat Trajectory

It is not possible for India to sign new defence contracts for more than `50,000 crore in 2018-19. There are hardly any funds for expediting the ongoing infrastructure development projects and capital acquisitions, building up the war wastage reserves beyond the Minimum Acceptable Risk Level (MARL), or giving a leg-up to the Make-in-India projects in defence. The dreary trajectory of defence budget since 2014-15 puts paid to the demand for creation of Cyber, Space and Special Forces commands, which is far below the trajectory of the demand projected by the armed forces and other departments, laments AMIT COWSHISH

India Successfully Tests - Two Missiles Long Under Development

The DRDO has been rapidly validating its long-pending missile projects such as the Nag ATGM and the QR-SAM to enable the Indian Armed Forces to fight better and defend more efficiently. A Geopolitics report

GRSE - Sets Revenue Targets, Aims For Higher Status

Kolkata based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers is now executing five shipbuilding projects for the Indian Navy and Coast Guard and aims to get a 'Schedule-A' shipyard classification from the Government of India to boost its financial powers and thereby bag more orders from within and outside the country. A Geopolitics report

Meteor BVR Air-To-Air Missile

Outstanding features of the Meteor missile include a variable flow, solid fuel ducted ramjet (SFDR) motor, that gives the missile the capability to effectively engage targets at long range, an X-band active seeker, a two way data link, and the ability to obtain mid-course target updates from third party sensors

Preparing For Future Challenges

As it embarks on a major fighter acquisition drive, the Indian Air Force must acquire the right number and types of aircraft that complement its combat strategy, argues

'The Indigenous Content In Our Brahmos Missile Has Reached Around 65 Per Cent'

The BrahMos programme, said DR. SUDHIR KUMAR MISHRA, Director General (BrahMos) DRDO, Ministry of Defence and CEO & MD, BrahMos Aerospace, has laid the foundation for an excellent network of industries, laboratories and institutions in the country that are collectively working for the BRAHMOS Weapon System. He emphasised that BRAHMOS had opened new work centres in India that would help to expedite BRAHMOS production and integration.

'The Spike Family Has A Great Legacy'

Rafael and its strategic partners are constantly working towards reaching understanding to allow for knowledge share and transfer of technology to India and other countries, says GIORA KATZ, EVP Marketing and Business Development, Rafael, in conversation with Geopolitics

Rotary Lift

The IAF is now in the final phases of its helicopter modernisation and upgrade programmes,

Enhancing Firepower Through Private Sector

By placing private arms manufacturers at the heart of its mission to transform India into an industrial power, the Modi government is trying to usher in a new era for the country’s defence industry.

Need For A Supportive Eco-system For The Defence Industry

While indigenous industry must be given preference over imports, local products should be competitively priced because the defence budget cannot be made to sustain and bankroll an inefficient local production regime. Unless an indigenous product is priced attractively with a developed eco-system, mission ‘Make in India’ will remain a pipe dream, argues MRINAL SUMAN

Beyond Numbers & Rhetoric - Why 2017 Is Not 1962

The Indian Air Force was forced to sit out the 1962 war by the nation’s political leadership for reasons that can most charitably be described as non-military. Had the IAF participated in the war, as it was well-trained and equipped to do, the outcome would have been different. But that is history. If war is imposed on the country today, the IAF is sure to make its presence felt. AIR MARSHAL PK BARBORA (RETD), former Vice Chief of Air Staff, in discussion with VIJAINDER K THAKUR on how 2017 is different from 1962

F/A-18 Super Hornet For India Multi-role, Combat Tested And Built For The Future

THOMAS (THOM) BRECKENRIDGE, Vice President, Global Sales India, Boeing Defense, Space & Security says, Boeing is committed to expanding its partnership by producing Super Hornets in India, further developing the country’s aerospace ecosystem. Boeing will work closely with Indian industry to ensure they have the very latest technologies, applying lessons learned from the current Super Hornet production line.

Meeting The American Arm Twisting To Protect The Affair With Russia

The United States wants to scuttle India’s burgeoning defence ties with Russia via the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. However, India has a number of options to avoid its punitive sections and use the opportunity to fast-track indigenisation and become immune to such blackmail, argues.

Key India-Russia Defence Deals

This checklist of big-ticket defence programmes shows how critical Russian weapons systems are to maintain India’s military primacy in the region.

Asymmetric Warfare Two Can Play The Game

India is in the unique and unfortunate position of being targeted by a large number of terrorist movements with ample foreign backing. The country’s political and military leadership must employ innovative ways to meet and combat the newly evolving patterns involving non-state actors and asymmetric warfare.

Shaping Or Disrupting The World System?

There are many strong leaders in Europe, Japan, Turkey, Iran and Israel who are influencing the happenings in the world and working in alliance with each other. However, four leaders – Trump, Xi, Putin and Modi – and their interactions and strategies are going to be more significant in shaping the future world order, writes VIJAY KUMAR KAUL, explaining these four leaders’ world views, governance systems, domestic and foreign strategies.

Fighting Terror With Corporate Sector

Given the corporate sector’s presence in almost every sphere of India’s economy and in particular its increasing presence in the critical infrastructure and information technology sectors, there needs to be a revised and updated relationship between the government and the corporate sector in respect of meeting internal security challenges, argues.