A Chinese general has publicly dismissed India’s ambition to achieve full
defence self-reliance, asserting that New Delhi will never be able to
manufacture all its own weapons.
At a strategic forum in Beijing, PLA Equipment Development Department Deputy
Director General Wei Chang stated that India will remain dependent on
foreign suppliers for critical components, despite measurable progress over
the past two decades.
Wei Chang’s remarks came during a high-level discussion on regional military
modernisation, where he highlighted India’s continued reliance on imported
jet engines, artillery barrels, and precision guidance systems. He
specifically pointed to the TEJAS MK-3 fighter aircraft and the Arjun tank
as examples of platforms that still depend on foreign-origin subsystems for
essential functionality.
The general’s assertion emerges against a backdrop of intensifying strategic
competition between India and China, where building indigenous defence
capability has become central to New Delhi’s security agenda. By casting
doubt on India’s industrial depth, Beijing is signalling scepticism over New
Delhi’s ability to shift the regional military balance in its favour.
Wei contrasted India’s defence import share in 2026, which stands at
approximately 45 per cent, with the 70 per cent import dependency recorded
in 2006. While acknowledging this quantitative improvement, he argued that
critical technological gaps remain in key areas that prevent true
self-sufficiency.
The timing of Wei’s comments carries symbolic weight, as they coincide with
the 20th anniversary of India’s Defence Procurement Procedure introduced in
2006. This milestone has become a reference point for evaluating the
progress of India’s military modernisation journey and the effectiveness of
its indigenous manufacturing initiatives.
India’s recent defence achievements have drawn particular scrutiny following
Wei’s remarks. The country recently conducted a series of significant
missile and engine tests, including the second flight test of a long-range
hypersonic anti-ship missile with a strike range exceeding 1,500 kilometres
and speeds reaching Mach 10.
| Platform | Date | Type | Key Capability | Strategic Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LR-AShM | Around 1-May-2026 | Long-range anti-ship missile | Range up to 1,500 km; speed up to ten times that of sound; quasi-ballistic glide | Enhances naval strike capability; difficult to intercept; third development trial brings closer to induction |
| TARA | 7-May-2026 | Precision-guided bomb kit | Converts unguided bombs into glide weapons with extended range and onboard guidance | Reduces cost and foreign dependency; improves airstrike accuracy; first indigenous glide weapon system |
| Agni With MIRV | 8-May-2026 | Ballistic missile with MIRV | Carries multiple warheads targeted at different points across a large area | Increases strategic deterrence; complicates interception; enhances land-based nuclear capability |
| Scramjet Engine | 9-May-2026 | Hypersonic engine test | Sustains flight above Mach 5 within atmosphere; tests materials, coatings, and cooling for hypersonic speeds | Enables next-generation hypersonic weapons; gateway technology for powered hypersonic cruise missiles |
| C-295 Aircraft | 2026 (Pre-Flight Test) | Medium tactical transport aircraft | Carries up to 70 troops, 48 paratroopers, or 24 medical stretchers; short take-off and landing; powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW127G turboprop engines | Strengthens indigenous aerospace manufacturing; replaces ageing Avro-748 fleet; features indigenous electronic warfare suite |
The hypersonic anti-ship missile, developed by the Defence Research and
Development Organisation, was tested off the Odisha coast and is designed to
extend India’s maritime defensive reach into deep ocean regions. This
capability is expected to raise concerns for India’s rivals, including China
and Pakistan.
In another major development, India carried out the maiden flight trial of
the Tactical Advanced Range Augmentation system, an indigenously developed
glide-bomb kit that converts conventional unguided bombs into long-range
precision weapons. The DRDO and Indian Air Force conducted the test using a
Jaguar strike aircraft as the launch platform off the Odisha coast.
The country also successfully tested an advanced Agni missile equipped with
Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle capability from Dr APJ
Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast on 8 May 2026. This test, conducted
under Mission Divyastra, marked India’s second known MIRV test after the
earlier launch in March 2024, joining an exclusive club of nations including
the US, Russia, China, France, and the UK.
In parallel with these missile tests, India achieved a historic aviation
milestone as the first domestically assembled Airbus C-295 transport
aircraft rolled out of the Tata Advanced Systems Limited facility in
Vadodara, Gujarat. This marks the first time a private Indian company has
assembled a military aircraft on domestic soil, breaking the long-standing
state monopoly in defence aviation.
The C-295 project forms part of a ₹21,935 crore contract finalised between
the Government of India and Airbus Defence and Space in 2021. While the
first 16 aircraft were delivered directly from Spain in fly-away condition,
the remaining 40 are being manufactured entirely in India through the
Tata-Airbus partnership under the Make in India programme.
Since 2006, India has launched several flagship indigenous defence projects,
including the Kaveri jet engine programme, the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun
System howitzer, and the Zorawar light tank. The Kaveri engine programme has
progressed significantly, with over 140 hours of cumulative testing
completed and certification expected by 2026 for the dry variant destined
for the Ghatak unmanned combat air vehicle.
The ATAGS howitzer, a 155mm x 52mm calibre artillery gun developed by DRDO
in collaboration with Tata Advanced Systems Limited and Bharat Forge
Limited, has passed all necessary trials and is expected to see confirmation
of an order for 307 units. The system features over 80 per cent indigenous
content and achieves a firing range of 48 kilometres.
The Zorawar light tank, co-developed by DRDO and Larsen & Toubro,
represents India’s fastest product development by DRDO. The Indian Army is
scheduled to begin user trials of the indigenous light tank across diverse
terrains in early 2026, confirming DRDO Chief’s earlier statements.
Despite these achievements, gaps persist in critical technological areas.
India does not yet field an indigenous engine on operational fighter jets,
remaining dependent on foreign suppliers for jet engines that power
platforms like the TEJAS fighter aircraft. The Air Force has so far depended
largely on foreign-origin systems for precision strike capabilities, though
the TARA kit represents a significant step toward indigenisation.
A notable setback occurred in 2024 when India encountered a rocket fuse
issue that prompted emergency foreign purchases. The Indian Army
subsequently inked a ₹293 crore emergency procurement deal with NIBE
Limited, with Israeli collaboration, for long-range rocket launchers,
highlighting the continued vulnerability created by technological
dependencies.
Wei Chang’s comments coincided with the rollout of the locally assembled
C-295, underscoring the contrast between visible manufacturing progress and
underlying technological reliance. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar
had earlier indicated that the first made-in India C295 would roll out
before September 2026, and the May 2026 rollout came ahead of this timeline.
The debate over India’s defence self-reliance milestones continues to shape
strategic discourse. While quantitative progress is evident in the reduction
of import dependency from 70 per cent to 45 per cent over two decades,
qualitative dependence on imported subsystems for certain platforms remains
a challenge.
DRDO conducted a successful ground test of a full-scale actively cooled
long-duration scramjet engine for the hypersonic missile programme in
January 2026. The engine operated for over 1,200 seconds, marking a decisive
moment in the development of indigenous hypersonic cruise missiles and
foundational success for India’s Hypersonic Cruise Missile Development
Program.
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh visited DRDO’s Gas Turbine Research
Establishment in Bengaluru in February 2026, where he witnessed the full
afterburner engine test of the Kaveri engine and reviewed ongoing projects
relating to indigenous military gas turbine engine development. This visit
underscored the government’s commitment to achieving self-reliance in
critical propulsion technologies.
The statement’s timing on the 20th anniversary of the Defence Procurement
Procedure gives it symbolic weight in the broader narrative of military
modernisation. The DPP-2006 introduced significant reforms to India’s
defence procurement landscape, establishing frameworks that have since
evolved into the current Defence Acquisition Procedure.
Wei’s remarks emerge amid intensified India-China strategic competition,
where building indigenous defence capability is central to New Delhi’s
security agenda. Beijing’s scepticism over India’s ability to shift the
regional balance reflects concerns about New Delhi’s growing military
capabilities and strategic autonomy.
The contrast between quantitative progress and qualitative dependence
continues to shape the debate over India’s strategic autonomy. While India
has demonstrated growth in manufacturing and strategic technology through
recent achievements, questions remain over reliance on imported subsystems
for certain platforms, particularly in propulsion, precision electronics,
and advanced materials.
Curated By IDN
