China's southern neighbor, India, has carried out a major show of force as tensions at their mutual border prevail.
On Tuesday, India conducted the Bharat Shakti ("India power") exercise at the Pokhran field firing range in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, showcasing indigenous weapon systems and platforms.
"'Bharat Shakti' will have on display an array of indigenous weapon systems and platforms as a demonstration of the prowess of the country, premised on the nation's Aatmanirbharata initiative," the Indian government's official news agency, the Press Information Bureau, said on Tuesday.
"It will simulate realistic, synergized, multi-domain operations displaying integrated operational capabilities of the Indian Armed Forces to counter threats across land, air, sea, cyber, and space domains," PIB added.
India's Bharat Shakti Exercise
This move towards indigenization is part of a broader strategy to reduce dependence on foreign arms imports, particularly from Russia. The Russia-Ukraine war has further pushed India's defense indigenization mission as the Kremlin hasn't been able to fulfill defense contracts.
India is also facing a geostrategic challenge from China as the two Asian giants have been locked in a military stand-off for the last four years. India has reorganized its military forces from the traditional threat posed by Pakistan's aggression at the western border to the new threat posed by China on the eastern border.
The event, watched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and delegates from over 30 countries, underscored India's strides towards achieving 'Aatmanirbharta' (self-reliance) in defense, aligning with the New Delhi's initiative to foster independence in defense technology and production, Indian newspaper Mint reported on Tuesday.
India's Bharat Shakti Exercise
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India accounted for 34 percent of Russia's arms exports between 2019 and 2023.
However, there has been a shift, with Russia's share in Indian arms imports plummeting from 76 percent in the 2009–13 period to 36 percent in the latest five-year period, SIPRI said in its latest report on Monday.
"Today, we are here to witness the display of the firepower capability of indigenous weapons and the operational readiness of all three defense forces. Today tri-service will showcase the key Equipment and Weapons Systems," Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pande said during the exercise, according to Mint.
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Aadil Brar is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers international security, U.S.-China relations, and East Asian ... Read more
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