Nike
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If we had started thirty years ago, starting with small arms, tank parts, mortars and ammunition expendables, we would not have had to buy these items (even grenades) from foreign companies. The problem was we never had visionary leaders, only thieves who were interested solely to line their own pockets, all the way from top to bottom leaders.
But start somewhere we must.
The neighbor country's aircraft industry was started by the Americans (HAL was a repair station for C-124's and Dakotas set up by the USAAF). And it has made that country self-sufficient. They could've had spectacular fighter aircraft by now, if it wasn't for the various corrupt politicians rooting for foreign products like Hawks and Rafales.
Even private companies like Tata and Mahindra have started making small riveted aviation items for the Boeing and Airbuses of the world (a passenger door here, a maintenance panel there). Same with Indonesia. When Dr. Habibie set PT Dirgantara (IPTN) up in Indonesia (JV with Casa Spain) in the late sixties, they did not have any homegrown technical expertise to make even motorcycles. But he had the vision that Indonesia as a country with far-flung locations needed an aircraft industry. So they simply set up one. Products include,
CN-235 (shorter predecessor to our C-295s)
New utility airplane N-219 (flew last month) - there is absolutely no reason we cannot make parts (and eventually the complete aircraft) for something like this. It is very doable with licensing at Bangabanhu Aeronautical Center.
Granted we aren't as resource-rich as those large countries, but we must start things, even if on a smaller scale. I am glad to report Naval build-wise, this is already happening in Bangladesh.
In the early 1900's, the US did not even have an aviation industry, they relied on copied European airplanes to get around. Now look where they are.
Our Diplomacy is weak and we don't leverage our friends in the West and negotiate enough. That is where rectification can start, active lobbying at Washington and Brussels.
Correct. Bhartis will at best want us to be weak/subservient and at worst want us to be a third world hellhole for good, dependent on them. It is clear in their actions (putting double barriers on their border and then more recently Rohingya episode. President Zia started this with our look East policy some two decades ago. But more true than ever.
Absolutely. Crying need of the day.
That is proceeding but we need to make the wheels turn much faster. Govt. policy needs to change for FDI as well.
You put too much credit on B J Habibie.
The father of Indonesian aircraft industry is not BJ Habibie, but Nurtanio pringgoadikusumo and Wiweko Soepono. They create and laid foundation for our aircraft industry using what is left from Dutch and Japanese workshop in Bandung Andir military airfield.
At first, during war of independence they designing and building military glider for para operation purpose and then move on to building their own aircraft for demonstration and training purpose
In 50' and 60' decades they had designing and flying with this aircrafts. The development programme for Aircraft industry in Indonesia got a major halt during Economic and political crisis in Late 60s decade.
Sport type Aircraft designed for training purpose and cross country travelling.
This is a light attack aircraft, Nu 200 Si Kumbang. designed by Nurtanio for ground attack roles as optimized for their rugged design and inexpensive operational cost.
In early 60's Nurtanio trying to license producing piper cub and Pzl 104 training craft but economical and political instability came to halt his aims.
In late 70s is the time when Habibie starting to lead the Nurtanio Aircraft industry (1978), in which IPTN actually still alive and kicking with their co project with Aviocar CASA industry to developt CN212 in 1971 and starting to license producing them in 1976 two years before Habibie lead the Nurtanio Aircraft industry.
