India Ban on $47 Billion Arms Imports Sowing Uncertainty
- Ban includes satellites, submarines and light machine guns
- New curbs on $47 billion in imports announced on Aug. 9
An Indian fighter jet flies over a mountain range near Leh, the joint capital of the union territory of Ladakh, on June 22.
Photographer: Tauseef Mustafa/AFP via Getty ImagesIndia’s move to ban the import of certain weapon systems will do little to boost local manufacturing and is sowing uncertainty at a time when the South Asian nation is trying to ramp up defenses on its restive borders with China and Pakistan, according to analysts.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration earlier this month announced curbs on $47 billion worth of imports that include communication satellites, conventional submarines and light machine guns. But defense experts said they didn’t address critical issues such as the certification of systems and locally-made components, and won’t prevent the military from making emergency purchases of equipment from foreign vendors.