In News
- Recently, Anti-submarine ship INS Androth launched in Kolkata.
About
- INS Androth is the second in a series of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC) built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers in Kolkata,
- It draws its name from the largest and longest island in the Lakshadweep archipelago.
- Androth’s primary role is to conduct anti-submarine operations in coastal waters, it is also capable of full-scale subsurface surveillance of coastal waters and various surface platforms and coordinated ASW operations with aircraft
- The ship also carries lightweight torpedoes, ASW rockets and mines, a close-in weapon system (with a 30 mm gun) and 16.7 mm stabilised remote-controlled guns. The Androth and its fellow craft will be fitted with hull mounted sonar and a low frequency variable depth sonar.
Navy’s indigenisation efforts :
- Indian Navy Indigenisation Plan 2015-2030:
- The Navy promulgated the Indian Navy Indigenisation Plan (INIP) 2015-2030 to enable indigenous development of equipment and system.
- Till date, the Navy has indigenised around 3400 items under INIP, including over 2000 machinery and electrical spares, over 1000 aviation spares and over 250 weapon spares.
- Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO):
- It provides an interface for academia and industry with the Indian Navy’s capability development apparatus.
- In the last two years, 36 Intellectual Property Rights(IPR) applications have been filed by Navy personnel.
- Over two IPR applications are filed every month since the creation of NIIO and Transfer of Technology to 12 Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) has already been undertaken.
Significance of Indigenisation :
- Reducing Fiscal Deficit: India is the second largest arms importer in the world (after Saudi Arabia).
- Higher import dependency leads to an increase in the fiscal deficit.
- Despite having the fifth largest defence budget in the world, India procures 60% of its weapon systems from foreign markets.
- India can export its indigenous defence technology and equipment to the neighbouring nations.
- Security Imperative: Indigenisation in defence is critical to national security It keeps intact the technological expertise and encourages spin-off technologies and innovation .
- Employment generation: Defence manufacturing will lead to the generation of satellite industries that in turn will pave the way for generation of employment opportunities.
- As per government estimates, a reduction in 20-25% in defence related imports could directly create an additional 100,000 to 120,000 highly skilled jobs in India.
- Strategic Capability: self sufficient and self reliant defence industry will place India among the top global powers.
