CENTRE FOR LAND WARFARE STUDIES (CLAWS) –
CONFEDERATION OF INDIAN INDUSTRY (CII)
SEMINAR
on
MILITARY MODERNISATION
A REPORT
Inaugural Session
Welcome Address: Brig (Retd) Gurmeet Kanwal, Director, CLAWS
Military modernisation is an integral part of our country‘s growth. It involves major
upgradation of combat facilities to meet new and emerging challenges. This seminar,
held at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi from 8-9 March, was an endeavour to
discuss various facets of modernisation in the Indian context and also to bring together
users, manufacturers and developers on a common platform for fruitful exchange of
ideas and progress.
Today, there is a wide gap between China‘s People‘s Liberation Army (PLA) and the
Indian Army. China‘s defence budget has consistently been increasing by over 10 per
cent per annum in real terms, while India‘s budget has by and large remained stagnant.
Defence procurement in India is also plagued by unseemly delays which could have
serious consequences on the nation‘s preparedness for meeting future challenges. This
aspect requires urgent attention.
Keynote Address: Lt Gen JP Singh, PVSM, AVSM, DCOAS (P&S)
The armed forces are a vital component both for the nation‘s security paradigm as also
for unhindered socio-economic development. The country is secured through
deterrence and if that fails, by decisive victory through the application of the military in a
joint services environment. Future wars can be visualised as hybrid and the forces need
to be optimally equipped for the same.
Our strategic policy guidelines at the political level and planning at the three services
level remains focused and stabilised. The political sanction for modernisation projects is
readily forthcoming and is not a source of concern. Over the next 10-15 years, the
modernisation drive for the armed forces will be to the order of $130-150 billion. There
perforce will be many challenges along the way and these will have to be overcome.
The process of military modernisation involves core technology and denial regimes
therefore are an inhibiting factor. In order to minimise vulnerabilities, one needs to focus
on development of domestic military industry with high technology content. For this, a
number of agencies need to come together which includes the DRDO, R&D of DPSUs
and R&D of private defence industries and academia. We need to find answers to core
technology issues to include technology infusion and technology absorption.
Thrust areas we are looking at are:
