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The Indian Defence Minister, AK Antony, has announced that the legislation on procurement will be modified to check delays in the procurement of weaponry and equipment. The Defence Ministry has come under repeated fire for delays in the procurement of weaponry, mainly due to procedural delays in competition.
At a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) seminar, Antony announced, that the Defence Procurement Procedures of 2010 will plug loopholes which lead to delays in procurement.
A press release issued by CII on January 13th, said: “At the seminar, Antony announced that The Government of India will be further revising the Defence procurement Procedures in the year 2010.” Antony also said, “The effort in this direction is already on”.
“The next revision would be focusing upon reducing delays in the procurement process”, said AK Antony.
He was speaking at an International Seminar on ‘Army Air Defence in 21st Century’ organised by the Corps of Army Air Defence, Integrated HQ of MoD (Army) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). “The public and private sector should work together to explore the ever expanding domains of the defence sector“, he said.
The available resources should be utilised in a judicious manner, towards the goal set by the Government, to reduce dependence on imports, which currently stands at 70%.
Mr. Baba Kalyani, Chairman of the CII National Committee on Defence & Aerospace and CMD of Bharat Forge Limited, outlined that the Government has been undertaking forward looking reforms and streamlining defence procurement procedures. In this backdrop he called for a level playing field for Indian private players. He welcomed DPP amendments that have been recently announced. He highlighted issues of concerns, such as a level playing field for foreign players with regards to the foreign exchange rate variations, issues of taxation structure and facilitating capabilities development for SMEs.
Mr. Kalyani also urged the Government to work out some kind of arrangement to allow prototype import, for the benefit of the indigenous industry. Self sufficiency, in the large range of defence equipment, will translate into a win-win situation for all. CII believes that the defence industry can rise up to this challenge.
Gen Deepak Kapoor, Chief of Army Staff, stated that technological breakthroughs in attack helicopters, cruise missiles, etc., have added new dimensions to the air defence domain. Therefore, continuous upgrading and revamping of technology is imperative. It is also required that infrastructure and technological prowess are being developed, keeping the nation’s security needs in consideration.
Lt. Gen Ram Pratap, Director General of Corps of Army Air Defence and Integrated Headquarters of MoD (Army), said that the years ahead will see the upgrading of existing policies, the coming of age of Defence R&D, etc. It is extremely crucial to sensitise the industry to both the indigenous and international about the road-map of defence preparedness.
Mr. Satish Kaura, Co Chairman of the CII National Committee on Defence & Aerospace & Chairman Samtel Group said that a nation’s strength is dependent upon its defence preparedness and its aspirations to become a big player in geo-political theatre. CII has been working with an overall objective to bring the industry and army to a common platform so that mutual issues could be resolved.
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