Air Force firmly on indigenisation track to boost domestic economy: IAF Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari

The Indian Air Force is firmly on the path of indigenisation, with recent acquisitions resulting in a Rs 70,000 crore boost to the domestic economy, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari told ET, adding that there has been a quantum increase in defence exports as well which will have a positive cascading impact on the economy in the coming years.

The Air Force has been on a 'Make in India' drive, with more than 200 locally designed and developed light combat aircraft (LCA) set to be inducted and a range of helicopters, including attack choppers, set to be ordered soon.

While 83 LCA Mk1A fighters have already been ordered, the air force has also moved a proposal to add 100 of the variant in an order that is expected to be of the tune of Rs 66,000 crore. The Air Force and Army are also working on inducting 156 'Prachand' light combat helicopters (LCH), at a cost of about Rs 50,000 crore.

"Cash outflow to the Indian economy has been approximately Rs 70,000 crore through indigenous purchases. This will have a direct impact on the Indian economy as well as create cascading effects in terms of purchases from defence PSUs (public sector undertakings), MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) and tertiary units," the air chief told ET ahead of Air Force Day on October 8.

Chaudhari also expressed faith in the industry developing cutting-edge technologies, especially in drones, saying unmanned systems have emerged as a game changer over the past decade. "I am confident that the drone ecosystem is undoubtedly the next big thing in our country, even in the military domain, and will be a determinant factor in shaping the battlefield of the future," he said.

Another focus area, the air chief said, has been promoting the export of locally manufactured equipment. "We are looking at exporting our indigenised equipment and have already seen that there has been an increase in the quantum of our defence exports in recent years," he said.

The Air Force has been supporting initiatives to export Indian made equipment such as helicopters, fighter jets and air defence weapons to friendly nations and has participated in several air shows in the region to showcase the products.

India's defence exports surged to Rs 16,000 crore in 2023-24 from a modest Rs 2,000 crore in 2014, with a range of equipment being offered to friendly nations. Defence exports in the current fiscal are projected to increase at least 25% year-on-year to Rs 20,000 crore.