General Anil Chauhan, India’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), has publicly expressed a significant lack of confidence in the country’s domestic defense industry, highlighting a major challenge to India’s goals of self-reliance and modernization.
Addressing industry stakeholders, General Chauhan adopted a firm stance, stating, “We expect some nationalism and patriotism in your profit-making endeavors.” He stressed that defense reform is not a unilateral process and requires the industry to be completely honest about its capabilities.
The Indian CDS warned that failure to deliver on time after securing a contract severely compromises the national industrial capacity. He stressed the importance of transparency, stating that honesty regarding local capabilities is paramount because the matter directly relates to national security.
General Chauhan specifically questioned the veracity of claims regarding indigenization, noting: “Many companies say their products are 70 percent local; this is not the reality.” His remarks indicate a serious gap between the reported progress and the actual domestic capability within India’s defense manufacturing sector.
