Amid heightening tensions between India and Pakistan, the Narendra Modi government has asked arm manufacturers and suppliers to be prepared to scale up production and supply contracts at short notice.
According to a report in Economic Times, concerned officials have been called to assess the capability and capacity to meet immediate requirements of the armed forces.
“The government wants a realistic estimate of the industry’s ability to deliver on a short notice; to upscale current production and to meet urgent orders,” ET quoted a top defence executive as saying.
Weapon suppliers, including some with the biggest businesses in India, have been contacted to convey that, if need be, contracts for additional arms could be placed on an immediate basis., the report says.
Notedly, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has also hinted at an increase in the defence budget to meet security needs, a day before India carried out surgical strikes.
“In India, in addition to all the global events which leave an impact on us, we also have the security challenge. The security challenge involves an element of uncertainty. It also involves a lot of national resources being diverted in that direction and it will always get top priority,” Jaitley had said at a banking conference.
