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The use of components made in China by Indian producers of military drones has been outlawed by the government. The choice was made following grave worries about security flaws, according to a Reuters story.
Four defense and business figures were quoted in the article. They said that China-made components in drones' communication capabilities, the unmanned aerial vehicle's cameras, radio transmission, and operational software might jeopardize intelligence gathering.
The move to limit parts from China comes amid rising military tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, particularly in the wake of clashes in May 2020 along the LAC in eastern Ladakh between the Indian Army and Beijing's People's Liberation Army.
As they were not authorised to speak to the media or due to the sensitivity of the subject, three of these individuals and some of the six additional government and business leaders that Reuters spoke to requested anonymity.
According to the Reuters story, two meetings were held in February and March to explore drone bids in the nation. According to minutes examined by Reuters, Indian military authorities there informed prospective bidders that equipment or components from "countries sharing land borders with India will not be acceptable for security reasons."
In essence, this refers to machinery and component parts built in China.
The Pentagon also outlawed the purchase and use of drones and drone parts manufactured in China in 2019.
An Indian defence official told Reuters that in order to increase domestic manufacture, the nation would need to be prepared to bear greater expenses.
"The price will increase by 50% if I buy equipment from China today but declare that I want to manufacture it in India," he remarked. They stated that "as a nation, we need to be prepared to help the ecosystem build here."
In February 2023, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman promised that the private sector would fund 25% of this fiscal year's budget for defence research and development.
