Indian Army hosted two strategically important events in Pune to project India as a key defence supplier to African nations. In a bid to deepen ties, the Indian Army and domestic defence sector showcased an exhibition of indigenously developed military platforms for the visiting African delegates who participated in the India-Africa Army Chiefs’ Conclave on Tuesday and the Africa-India Field Training Exercise, which concluded on Wednesday.
India’s growing potential to supply defence equipment, products and services to African nations remained a key focus theme of the mega-events, which aimed at strengthening military-to-military ties amid the current global dynamics. Particularly the effort viewed as a countermeasure for China’s growing footprint in Africa.
The second edition of the 10-day joint military exercise “The Africa-India Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX-2023)” culminated on Wednesday at Foreign Training Node, Aundh, Pune, held from 16 to 29 March. A total of 25 nations of the African continent, with 124 participants and Indian troops, participated in the multinational exercise.
Speaking at the concluding ceremony of the Africa-India Field Training Exercise, Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande said, “India has created a robust public and private defence industry under a defence manufacturing ecosystem which has the advantage of abundant technical manpower. We are showcasing the prowess of the Indian defence Industry through an equipment and weapons display.”
“I am confident that our industry will work in a collaborative manner to meet your defence requirements, and ensure overall capability enhancement of the African Armed Forces,” the Army Chief added.
A key highlight of AFINDEX 2023 was ‘Equipment Display’ in which African delegates took a deep interest in the indigenous military products. Seventy-five indigenous products from 34 Indian industries, private and state-owned PSUs, were showcased under the government’s ‘Make in India’ scheme. Army Chiefs from the continent and other representatives were among the visitors. Speaking to the BharatShakti, senior officials said the steps aimed at aggressively stepping up the defence outreach to African countries.
Echoing the government’s effort to win over African nations’ confidence in ‘Make in India’ products, titans of Indian Industry are upbeat towards becoming a key defence supplier.
Speaking with BharatShakti, Ashok Atluri, CMD Zen Technologies, which makes state-of-the-art training equipment, simulators for weapons and counter-drone solutions, said, “this is the first time so many important army chiefs and other delegates gathered in one place, and we are able to show our Indian products to them, our simulator, counter-drone and other equipment. It is really a wonderful opportunity for the Indian industry to show its equipment in one place to all the decision-makers. My company has already exported our products to some African nations such as Egypt, Nigeria, and Kenya, but this is a bigger platform to reach out to other countries we could not reach earlier.”
Hoping to attract interest in Indian products, Atluri observed that “Most of the participating countries have training requirements, but they do not have modern training methodologies. Ghana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Algeria and many others have shown interest in our products which is a very encouraging outcome of the event,”
Maj Gen Anil Oberoi, President, Defence Business, SMPP, which develops indigenous bulletproof jackets, said, “all those who are coming in our stall show interest, and some of the Army Chiefs have asked us to set up manufacturing plants in their countries. They are also learning from the ‘Make in India’ programme, and countries such as Egypt and Nigeria have already told me about their plans to set up manufacturing units in their countries”.
State-owned public sector undertakings (PSU) are also getting such demands from African counties. DPSU, Munitions India Limited Director Operations, Sushant Kumar Rout disclosed that “we are exporting our products to African countries and some of the orders are in pipelines. But some nations have shown interest in and requested us to set up factories in their countries”.
Although Indian products are being supplied to several African countries, the volumes remain low because of less purchasing capacity. “In less than one-and-half years of the inception of Munitions India Limited, we have got record export orders worth Rs. 3000 crore in which African export constitutes only Rs. 100 crore as we get small orders from them because of their purchasing power,” informed Rout.
Indian industry looks to fulfil this gap and push for cost-effective military platforms and customised defence equipment that meet their security requirements, said Arun Ramchandani, Head of L&T Defence, while pitching Indian industry’s aspirations towards Africa during Army Chiefs Conclave held on Tuesday. “We are open to the co-development and co-production model of working together, and we can modernise various legacy equipment,” Ramchandani added while making a ferment appeal to African nations.
Ravi Shankar
