The Hindu Editorial Analysis- 24th September 2024 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Triumph squared 

Why in News?

India’s double gold at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest is an extraordinary feat: only two other countries could do it in history. It came as no surprise to the serious followers of the game, though. The Indian women began as the first seed and the men as the second in the mind sport’s most prestigious team event, for which most of the world’s countries few down to the Hungarian capital.

• The Indian men's team won against Slovenia with a score of 3.5-0.5 in the last round of the 45th Chess Olympiad.
• At the same time, the Indian women's team triumphed over Azerbaijan, also winning with a score of 3.5-0.5.
• Before India, only China and the former Soviet Union had managed to win both the men's and women's gold medals in the same Chess Olympiad.
• The Indian men's team had previously achieved two bronze medals in the 2014 and 2022 tournaments.
• The Indian women's team won a bronze medal in the 2022 edition, which took place in Chennai.
• The Chess Olympiad is a biennial event where teams from different countries compete against each other.
• This tournament is organized by FIDE, which also chooses the host country for the event.
• The first Olympiad was unofficial and took place in 1924.

India’s defence exports and humanitarian law

Why in News?

The Supreme Court of India, earlier this month, dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) asking that the central government be directed to stop exporting defence equipment to Israel as Tel Aviv is allegedly committing war crimes in Gaza. The top court refused to intervene, reportedly because foreign policy is not its domain. However, the issue that the PIL raised is a normative one that goes beyond Israel. It must be clearly understood given India’s aspirations to become a major defence exporting nation.

Introduction

• India has been known as one of the biggest importers of weapons.
• Now, it is working hard to become one of the leading defense exporters in the world.
• Recently, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh announced that India's defense exports have surpassed ₹21,000 crores (which is about $2.63 billion) for the first time.
• India's plan focuses on using its major weapon systems, which include:
  • Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas
  • BrahMos Missile
  • Light Combat Helicopters
  • Pinaka Multi Barrel Rocket Launch System (MLRS)
  • Akash Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM)

Growth of Defense Exports

Historical Perspective

Before 2015, India focused primarily on meeting its domestic defense needs. However, defense exports have significantly increased from ₹686 crores in 2013-14 to ₹21,083 crores in 2023-24, marking a 31-fold increase over the past decade.

Years           Export Value (INR)

| 2013-14     | ₹686                |

| 2014-15     | ₹1,941             |

| 2015-16     | ₹2,059             |

| 2016-17     | ₹1,522             |

| 2017-18     | ₹4,682             |

| 2018-19     | ₹10,746           |

| 2019-20     | ₹9,116             |

| 2020-21     | ₹8,435             |

| 2021-22     | ₹11,067           |

| 2022-23     | ₹15,918           |

| 2023-24     | ₹21,083           |

Key Export Products

• India exports defense products to 84 countries.
• The products include:
  • Patrol vessels
  • Low-band radars
  • Anti-tank weaponry
  • Armored vehicles
  • Torpedoes
  • Bulletproof jackets
  • Small arms
  • Artillery guns
  • Rocket launchers
  • Sensors
  • Night vision devices
• The private sector accounts for 60% of these exports.
• The public sector contributes 40% of the exports.

High-End Technology Focus

•  To improve its standing in the global defense market, India is concentrating on developing advanced technology weapon systems: 
• Air Domain:
  • LCA Tejas
  • Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv
  • Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand
  • Light Utility Helicopter (LUH)
• Land Domain:
  • Main Battle Tank (MBT) Arjun
  • Various howitzers
  • Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS)
• Sea Domain:
  • Different offensive and defensive naval vessels

Strategic Initiatives

• The Indian Government has introduced various policy initiatives to boost defense exports.
• One of the goals is to reach $5 billion in defense exports by 2025.
• These policies focus on improving research and development, quality control, and after-sales support.
• The aim is to ensure that products are both reliable and competitive in the global market.

Learning from Israel:

• India can take lessons from Israel's defense industry.
• Israel not only creates complete defense systems but also focuses on components that can work with different existing platforms.
• This strategy has greatly increased Israel's defense exports.
• It can be a useful model for India's defense sector.

Addressing Challenges:

• India's defense industry still faces several challenges.
• There is strong competition from already established companies.
• Ensuring the reliability of products is crucial.
• Providing good after-sales service is also important.
• The sale of the ALH Dhruv helicopter to Ecuador showed how essential these factors are.
• Legal issues arose from maintenance problems, which led to crashes, highlighting the need for better support.

Conclusion

• India's goal of becoming a major defense exporter involves tackling important issues in its defense industry.
• Key areas for improvement include:
  • Research and Development (R&D) to innovate and create advanced technologies.
  • Improving the quality of production to ensure high standards in defense equipment.
  • Enhancing after-sales support to provide ongoing assistance and maintenance for defense products.
• With the right strategic initiatives and policy measures, India is on a strong path.
• This positioning can help India reach its aim of becoming a leading player in the global defense market.