INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
India's defence sector needs replacement of outdated equipment with modern weaponry, according to experts
Defence expert Ajai Shukla believes the government's capital allocation in defence should increase by at least one third from the current
Rs 1 lakh crore to about Rs 1.3 lakh crore
Major General Ashwani Siwach (retired), former head of Territorial Army, said the sector needs a big boost in terms of equipment, such as
modern main battle tanks, armed drones and light machine guns for infantry.Experts believe the defence industry is looking for a signal that
the Defence Ministry is serious about catalysing the development of new indigenous technology
In order to do this, Mr Shukla feels an allocation of Rs 10,000 crore to the technology development fund is "crucial".While some members of
the industry have muted expectations as they feel priorities have shifted towards infrastructure development and social sector spending,
others believe given the fact that national security is a key agenda for the re-elected National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, the
sector could witness a structural change on July 5, 2019."There should at least be a 15-20 per cent hike in the defence budget compared to
last year' as the sector is in urgent need of modernisation," said Major General Siwach.However, Mr Shukla said he believes the sector must
get a "roll-on budget" suggesting that unspent money each year will get carried forward to the next year's budget instead of lapsing at
the end of the financial year.Get Breaking news, live coverage, and Latest News from India and around the world on TheIndianSubcontinent.com
Catch all the Live TV action on TheIndianSubcontinent 24x7 and TheIndianSubcontinent India
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram for latest news and live news updates.Budget 2019: Find the latest news on
TheIndianSubcontinent.com/budget
Use the income tax calculator to learn about your tax liability
