Baba Kalyani, chairman and managing director of Bharat Forge, India’s leading forging company, welcomed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s announcement of banning import 101 defence items in a bid to bolster PM Modi’s resolve of making India self-reliant or Atmanirbhar.

Kalyani called the decision a strategic step that will “propel the Atmanirbhar Bharat narrative and bolster Indian defence equipment manufacturing industry”. Kalyani further said that as a result of the move, the domestic sector will grow, leading to getting India closer to achieving 5 trillion economy.

“We at Kalyani Group, welcome the move announced by the honourable Union Minister, Rajnath Singh, this strategic step will propel the Atmanirbhar Bharat narrative and bolster Indian defence equipment manufacturing industry,” the statement read.

Also read: From big guns to missiles, India bans import of 101 defence items to boost self reliance

After today’s announcement, the government is set to introduce an import embargo on 101 items beyond a given timeline to boost the indigenisation of defence production. The ministry has prepared a list of 101 items for which there would be an embargo on the import beyond the timeline indicated against them. “This is a big step towards self-reliance in defence,” Singh said.

The list includes guns to missiles and what Singh described as equipment that will fulfil “needs of our defence services” such as “high tech weapon systems like artillery guns, assault rifles, corvettes, sonar systems, transport aircraft, LCHs, radars & many other items”.