The Government is committed to minimising import dependence done ‘Make successful India’ initiatives, though it has ne'er beryllium wholly eliminated, said Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh connected Tuesday (February 3, 2026).
Mr. Singh was speaking astatine the lawsuit of signing of MoU betwixt Adani Defence & Aerospace and Italian aerospace elephantine Leonardo successful New Delhi to found an integrated chopper manufacturing ecosystem successful India.
He further said that the Government of India’s imaginativeness of self-reliance successful defence manufacturing is not constricted to reducing import dependence. It seeks to physique resilient, globally competitory concern capabilities wrong the country, successful concern with affable overseas nations. At the aforesaid time, the conception of self-reliance indispensable beryllium viewed realistically — it cannot beryllium achieved overnight, nor does it connote implicit oregon 100% autonomy, which is neither applicable nor necessary.
“What India tin bash is progressively grow the scope of Make successful India to minimise import dependence — though it tin ne'er beryllium eliminated entirely. This has led to a mendacious duality successful the Indian statement that 1 indispensable either import oregon trust exclusively connected indigenous plan and manufacturing,” said Mr. Singh.
“In reality, determination is simply a wide continuum successful between. This includes calibrated exertion transfers and home accumulation successful areas wherever India has the indispensable standard and capability. The rotary-wing aviation conception is simply a lawsuit successful point, wherever important levels of accumulation and worth summation tin beryllium undertaken wrong the country,” helium added.
The tie-up betwixt Adani Group and Italian large Leonardo is expected to code subject demands and boost India’s self-reliance successful chopper production.
A merchandise from Adani radical reads that targeting the Indian Armed Forces’ operational requirements — peculiarly for Leonardo’s precocious AW169M and AW109 TrekkerM helicopters — the collaboration volition alteration phased indigenisation, found robust maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities, and present broad aviator training.
Jeet Adani, Director, Adani Defence & Aerospace, said, “This confederation with Leonardo is simply a pivotal stride toward a resilient, future-proof chopper ecosystem successful India. Merging planetary excellence with our concern momentum, we volition thrust enduring value, high-skill employment, and alignment with Aatmanirbhar Bharat to presumption India arsenic a planetary aerospace powerhouse.”
The concern volition found a afloat integrated chopper manufacturing ecosystem successful India, addressing surging subject demands and propelling the federation toward self-reliance successful chopper production, reads the release.
Gian Piero Cutillo, Managing Director, Leonardo Helicopters, affirmed: “We’re highly pleased to articulation forces with Adani to supply our publication to India’s imaginativeness for an adjacent stronger and increasing relation of their rotorcraft industry, and to alteration the state to entree the level of modern exertion and operational capableness it deserves. We look guardant to making advancement successful this endeavour, leveraging our complementary expertise to present the champion solutions.”
Ashish Rajvanshi, CEO, Adani Defence & Aerospace, added: “With the Indian Armed Forces projecting request for implicit 1000 helicopters successful the coming decade, this concern realizes our imaginativeness for sovereign manufacturing. It volition accelerate indigenization, fortify proviso chains, and found India arsenic a world-class accumulation base.”

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