New Delhi: Citing security concerns, the Indian military has barred the use of Chinese equipment and components in surveillance drones that are manufactured domestically, news agency Reuters has reported.
According to meeting minutes reviewed by Reuters, the military told potential bidders that parts made in “countries sharing land borders with India will not be acceptable for security reasons”.
A military tender document also said that such parts contained “security loopholes” that could put crucial Indian military data at risk.
An unnamed senior defence official told the news agency that the term “countries sharing land borders” was actually a reference to China, reflecting concerns around allegations that it has been involved in cyberattacks.
One immediate consequence of the Indian military’s decision is that domestic drone manufacture will become costlier.
“If today I buy equipment from China but I say I want to make it in India, the cost will go up 50% … We as a nation need to be ready to help the ecosystem build here,” Reuters quoted the senior official as saying.
But even when India will look elsewhere to source its drone parts – it currently lacks the know-how to manufacture certain kinds of drones entirely at home – it has to deal with the fact that over 70% of goods in the drone supply chain are made in China.
On top of this, some manufacturers import materials from China but label them as being manufactured by themselves, Sameer Joshi, founder of a Bengaluru-based drone supplier, told Reuters.
The Indian military also called on vendors to reveal the origin of components, Reuters reported.
In June this year, India announced that it will purchase 31 MQ-9B drones from the US-based company General Atomics.
The purchase is seen as part of India’s strategy to strengthen surveillance of its Chinese border.
Tensions between the two Asian giants were strained following a skirmish in the Ladakh region in which 20 Indian soldiers died, and both countries have since stepped up their surveillance capabilities.
India’s purchase of the MQ-9B drones was made during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the US, which is also a country that has limited its exchange of defence material with China.
Reuters reported that in 2019, the US Congress barred the Pentagon from buying or using Chinese drone components.
In the following year, the country also banned the purchase of Chinese equipment by utilities companies that power critical defence facilities in the country, Quartz reported.
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