Sunday, December 18 2005 12:38 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Concerned over the country's failure to make a breakthrough in arms exports, a Parliamentary Committee has recommended that ordnance factories should manufacture NATO compatible weapons.

Noting that failure to manufacture weapons up to NATO standards, specially small calibre items, has badly hit the country's efforts to boost arms sales, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defense said specification of indigenous arms should be changed to make them NATO compatible.

Expressing concern that arms exports plunged to mere Rs 41 crores this year against Rs 93 crores in 2003-04, the committee in its report, tabled in Parliament, said India should become a major player by offering indigenous missiles, helicopters and major weapons systems for sale abroad.

The committee noted that Indian export market was at present confined to neighboring nations like Nepal, Myanmmar and Maldives, besides catering to the replenishment market.

The committee said the Government should create an Export Promotion Board for ordnance factories. The factories should be restructured and experts involved in these in order to launch a modernization drive, it added.

"The Export Promotion Board should have experts from international trade and marketing fields who can evolve an effective strategy and drive to tap the vast export markets for armaments, ammunitions and other defense products," the committee said.