NEW DELHI, June 10: Under its "Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan", the Narendra Modi government has decided to soon initiate procurement of arms and ammunition from local industries to reduce import dependence on foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).
This is a post Covid-19 plan of the Central government which it would implement after it gets relief in fight against the deadly virus.
The Union Home Ministry (MHA) - which is responsible for the country's internal security - will soon urge private industries to come forward to meet the expectations of the government so that procurement of arms and ammunition from foreign countries could be curtailed.
It is learnt that the government is open to solve the issues of the private sector by shaping them to be price competitive and focus on quality in production so as to fulfil needs of best arms and ammunition.
The plan not only envisages catering to domestic needs, but also to export Indian products abroad. This is an attempt to achieve the vision of "Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan" as India has been for the last many years dependent on outside OEMs.
Sources said the government started preparing a road map in this direction since it came into power, and the Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019, bringing changes to the six-decade-old Arms Act, 1959 was passed by Parliament in December last year for this purpose.
Under the amended law, licensed private industries have been allowed to manufacture and proof test small arms and ammunition including the ones being used by the military. � IANS
