Defence procurement from foreign sources reducing, shows govt data

The expenditure on defence procurement from foreign sources has reduced from 46 per cent of the overall expenditure in 2018-19 to 36.7 per cent as per data till December last, according to government data.

Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt, replying to a question in Rajya Sabha on Monday, listed 155mm Artillery Gun system 'Dhanush'', Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, surface-to air missile system 'Akash', main battle tank 'Arjun', T-90 tank, T-72 tank and Cheetah helicopter as indigenous key defence projects.

"The expenditure on defence procurement from foreign sources has reduced from 46 per cent of overall expenditure in 2018-19 to 36.7 per cent as per data till December, 2022," he said on Monday.

Last month, Bhatt said Kalashnikov AK-203 rifles for Indian armed forces were under manufacturing and testing stage at an Indo-Russian joint venture at Korwa in Uttar Pradesh.

Bhatt said the Indo-Russian Rifles Private Ltd (IRRPL) has established all facilities to commence production