'Rifles For Army: No Steps Taken To Dismantle Import Lobby' | In Our Defence Podcast

Host Dev Goswami and defence expert Shiv Aroor break down the messy world of defence procurement, the influence of the import lobby, and the Indian Army’s struggle to standardise its weapons.
The duo points out how India's defence procurement system is highly bureaucratic and resistant to change, making it difficult to dismantle or streamline current processes. There is a strong, commercially motivated import lobby in India, which benefits from continuing to import defence equipment rather than developing domestic capabilities.
Watch!
Produced by Anna Priyadarshini
Full episode: • Why Indian military's ...
All Episodes: • In Our Defence Podcast
Click here for the latest podcast: podcasts.india...
You can also tune in here:
Spotify: open.spotify.c...
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple...
Like us on Facebook: / indiatodaypodcasts
Follow us on Twitter: x.com/IndiaTod...
Instagram: / indiatodaypodcasts
#Rifle #INSAS #InfantryRifle # SIG716Rifles #SigSauer #US #Russia #MakeInIndia #DefenceStartups #SIG716i #VivekKrishnan #SSSDefence #Import #IndianMilitary #Podcasts #InOurDefencePodcast #ShivAroor #IndiaToday
Subscribe to India Today for NEW VIDEOS EVERY DAY and make sure to enable Push Notifications so you'll never miss a new video.
All you need to do is PRESS THE BELL ICON next to the Subscribe button!
India Today TV is India's leading English News Channel. India Today KZbin channel offers latest news videos on Politics, Business, Cricket, Bollywood, Lifestyle, Auto, Technology, Travel, Entertainment and a lot more.
Stay tuned for latest updates and in-depth analysis of news from India and around the world!
WhatsApp Channel: whatsapp.com/c...
Download App: indiatoday.lin...
Follow us: Official website: www.indiatoday...
Twitter: / indiatoday
Facebook: / indiatoday

[@angryhusky2467]

The money saved from royalties paid for AK203 contract could have been used in other R&D projects.

[@jayantobose4939]

It is a pity that India has decided to import some 70,000 rifles from the US on an emergency basis while the AK 203 has started production. Care should have been taken to at least use the same ammunition. While the bore of 7.62mm may be the same, the calibers are different. Imagine the logistical nightmare of supplying different ammunition to units in remote areas.

[@AshwinAjay]

The Military Industrial Complex always wins.

[@AshwinAjay]

FInally, people and journalists have started calling out the BS that is the defence sector.

[@pkmkb007]

SSS Defense already has most of Rifle available in India. Indian army is sleeping and won't order them but they are happy to order Sig sauer rifles from USA.

[@harsimranz4973]

Finish all the import lobby.

[@lovkeshbajaj674]

You import everything, then you think what happens at war time or strained relationships, so let buy from different sources. And then chaos starts.

[@perfopt9077]

"The import lobby" - who are they. Name them specifically. It is not just IAS babus. The Army brass is part of it. Unpopular opinion that will get a lot of criticism but it is unfortunately true.

[@rakesharamaiah2737]

In Chandigarh based some retd general control import lobby, When CDS Bipin Rawat, took very high action on them, there is a conspiracy, he killed due to Chandigarh lobby, Also in twitter retd col baljit bakshi, retd WG CDR posted karma served,

[@sumandutta4834]

Undoubtedly, the Indian military, bureaucracy, and political leadership are not serious enough to design, develop and manufacture rifles in India. The most fundamental piece of equipment in any military is a gun. It is not acceptable to use complaints about quality or life on the line as an excuse for not closing the gap. Even while nations like UK and Germany struggled with SA80 and G36 respectively, they continue to prioritize indigenous development above imports.

[@dg_griffin1427]

Not only Rifles but also Infantry armour we have best infantry without anything even though we are dependent on low quality armour made by OFBs plates and we have one of the best armour building companies ex MKU,Smpp,Indian Armour and also our companies made Ak47 bullet resistance helmets but still they are not ordering them. please sir make a video on this too

[@srinivasn4450]

Insas rifle failure to operate in extreme conditions has resulted in AK203 and SIG rifle usage. Both AK203 and SIG is damn popular among infantry now. With make in INDIA AK 203 approach there is great control of it. Its fighter jet, jet engines, drones, missiles, radar and other critical technology Indian startup should work and give contribution. Assault rifle is low tech now.

[@angryhusky2467]

Who is in the import lobby? Kon hai ye log? Why not name them?

[@srikanth85in]

Their way of diverting attention from the PSU failures

[@rishabharyan-tf7rx]

Retired army Generals and defence mini. Ke kuch log and kuch generalists. Check about chandigarh lobby

[@karan1401]

Do not buy defense equipments from Lotus Machine tools pvt ltd Chandigarh India. Their products are very very low quality. They are with other names: Lotus Defense and aerospace, Security Equipments, Future Technologies. RK Gupta(Father), Amit Gupta(Son)

[@jshaan75]

You are trivialising the army when you claim that there is an import lobby and the army is not cunning enough to figure that out. The first and foremost duty of the army is to procure the best of the best. They do not have to think about the origin of the weapon, but of its merit and capability. And even if it was made here, would there be a cost difference ? We have seen the SU 30 made in india to be costing more than the su 30 made in Russia. We are really downsizing the issue if we think that out army is ignorant to other factors. The US has a very robust defense industry but as per requirement they also require Heckler and Koch, which is German. and do you think there can be a bigger lobby in the US than the domestic defence lobby ? Our army has now stopped leaning to external pressures and is only getting the best of the best. Please dont use the words like "import lobby " just for views. But what can you expect from shiv aroor other than sensationalism. He will never talk about operational requirements and other merits.

[@SomnathDe-h7d]

We talk tall but fail to manufacture quality rifles for our army.

[@SUNNY_TV_958]

Today is birthday 0 likes😢😢😢

[@prasenjeetrathore]

Short answer: government regulations India will never be manufacturing hub for guns since it is one of the most heavily regulated industries in India.

[@mikedouglas1582]

4 round types are in practice in India..7.62 MMG, 7.62 AK round, 5.56 insas, 9 mm pistol round...

[@debashishmahananda5372]

@@mikedouglas1582 7.62*51 NATO STANDARDS

[@debashishmahananda5372]

7.62*51 NATO STANDARDS

[@pedroramalho121]

This is simply stupid, the costs and logistical problems make the situation untenable if there is a prolonged war, there is no problem with having more than one weapon in service to due the same function, the problem is with having several calibers. India has to choose a caliber and then move forward from there, and change the entire ecosystem based on the calibers chosen, this is true for all systems, from personal weapons to artillery.

[@mikedouglas1582]

@@debashishmahananda5372 that's MMG round

[@pjane9231]

Indian military import complex!! It is an equivalent of Western military industrial complex...!! Quantity has a quality of its own! IAF or Indian def forces continue to chase quality even if they can't obtain it from anywhere! and whatever they can get is in very low numbers at a very high cost! In the meanwhile they ignore Quantity but the truth is that quantity has a quality of its own and only if we are able to produce a significant quantity ourself then only we can improve and innovate!! We ignored russian engine s for western engines as a result we are stuck! DRDO continue to make false promises! A FPV drone with a 20 kg payload can be assembled for Rs 80, 000 but instead of assembling it themselves army buy it from vendors who charge 50-100 times more!! In Russia Ukrain war more than couple of million FPV drones has been utilised and they are sourcing the components from everywhere and also making it themselves!! Indian vendors are not making the components including the low tech components like motors, propellors, sensors or actuators and permanent magnets etc!!

[@JivankrishnaB]

Sir ji pair niche karke baat kar lete. Well comming to the point. This govt. has made media talk on thea Se subjects like how a country is run and managed, which most of people is not aware of. In past 11 yrs the govt. performed in various segment including defence in policy change. Give time to this govt. First to solve any problem you must accept the problem. This govt does that and finds the probable best solutionbe it in any field. In subsidised economy you cannot perform multiple good things at a single time.

[@lovkeshbajaj674]

Isnt this basic logic.

[@1980titu]

There’s no good business like War Business..! We have more enemies inside than perhaps outside.. We have always been by one of our own only ..!! Sad but bitter reality..! Who is to be blamed for ?

[@badshahshah4611]

Dear Dev Goswami, yu & people like yu r the real prblm within & outside the defence establishment. When you take decades to design & make a weapon, the army’s operational reqrmts will change. Where is the doubt??? For yr benign intellect, standardizing a weapon for an army whose operational requirements are different in deserts, tropical forests, mountains & very high altitudes cannot standardize all requirements on a single weapon which is what idiots like yu propose. The mission specific requirements of weapons is also a factor which has to be decided. Getting the Army to fit preconcieved civilian bureaucratic requirements is the hallmark of failure in India’s defence preparedness. ⚓️⚔️🇮🇳

[@ashoksarathy93]

The ways of the bhujiawallah and dhoklawallahs baniyas are strange...

[@AKumar-co7oe]

it is the gills and rawats eating money under the table from western contractors

[@srikanth85in]

Instead of blaming import lobby, why don’t you for once highlight the extreme shortcomings and incompetence of the PSUs and their useless employees!!

[@rishabharyan-tf7rx]

Tere father bhi chandigarh lobby se belong krte haina 😏😒

[@srikanth85in]

@@rishabharyan-tf7rxlol 😅didn’t expect anything better from the paan belt

[@desibigfoot3874]

How about the great fellows who make QRs based on brochures?

[@srikanth85in]

@@desibigfoot3874 Lol as if the INSAS was flawless. It was the butt of all jokes

[@Leap6]

​@@srikanth85insorry sar, you south people very very briliant sorry sar

[@bipinshukla]

He is not a reporter he is just acting spokesperson of sss defence

[@desibigfoot3874]

It takes one to recognise another.

[@be572]

DRDO is scam