India to ban import of more than 100 military equipment

India's defense ministry has announced that it would ban the import of 101 products of military equipment in an effort to boost domestic production.

The move by New Delhi is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's desire to make India a "self-sufficient" nation.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said the government intends to gradually impose a ban on certain military imports starting off from 2020-24, and the list will be updated or expanded from time to time.

According to Rajnath Singh, this is a big step towards India’s self-reliance in defense. "Our goal is to improve the Indian defense industry in line with the requirements of the Armed Forces so that they are better equipped for the purpose of local armaments," he wrote in a tweet.

According to the Indian media reports, the list of imports to ban includes military equipment ranging from ammunition, sonar, and radar to rifles, anti-aircraft guns, airplanes and helicopter transporters.

It is pertinent to mention that India is the third-largest buyer of military equipment. According to a survey published in April by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, India was the third-largest buyer of military equipment last year, after the United States and China.

In February, Indian PM and US President Donald Trump signed a $3 billion deal to purchase state-of-the-art military equipment for India.

Since the coronavirus pandemic Prime Minister Modi has been pushing for the promotion of home-made items such as personal protective equipment (PPE) and the protection of small Indian companies.