India relied heavily on foreign countries in the past to provide military equipment for its armed force. In recent years, the government has increased its procurement of military equipments. These weapons are expensive and take a long time to procure. It also involves the importation of equipment and parts from foreign OEMs. It also involves using a National Stock Number. NSNs are used for military equipment and supplies. These include aircraft, self propelled weapons, spares, repair parts, and ships.
France is India’s second largest supplier. In recent years, Russia has been the largest supplier of major arms to India. Russia's imports to India decreased by 47 percent in the period 2012-16. India is still the second largest customer for Russian military hardware. The AH-64 Apache and F-15C Strike Eagle were Russia's most significant arms exports to India between 2012 and 2016.
India is the largest exporter of military equipments worldwide. India has been focusing on the production of indigenous weapons in recent years. The 'Make in India' policy has a major impact on the Indian Armed Forces. The defence budget is 70% dedicated to the domestic arms sector. This is because the country needs weapons that can meet its defense requirements.
India has never had the technology to produce its own weapons. India has been importing major weaponry from Russia since 2012. This accounted for 70% of all major arms imports from India. However, the government started encouraging the production of indigenous weapons for the Indian Army as well as the Indian Air Force. The 'Make in India' policy prioritizes the manufacture of indigenous weapon parts and equipments. The Indian Air Force also emphasizes the importance of producing indigenous weapons.
France, on one hand, has been a significant supplier of military equipment to India for decades. France's major weapons programs have been successful in the recent past. The French army invented the Leclerc main battle tank in the early 1980s. This was to help them fight in high intensity conflicts in Europe. The program was officially launched in 1986 after more than 20 years of study.
France launched the main battle tank program and also a combat helicopter, as well as a pair missile programs. These programs were launched to keep France ahead against the Soviet armored divisions and to stop them from advancing into Western territory. Both of these programs were successful. However, the French military has been unable to reach its strategic objectives due to the reduction of smaller-scale programs.
The Grands Programmes logic continues to be a cornerstone of French military planning. But it has also received significant criticisms. While the logic of the Grands Programmes has been criticised, its implementation is essential in ensuring that the French military can continue to remain cutting-edge.