Defence procurement has simplified, happening with due diligence intact and speedily: Nirmala Sitharaman
On Thursday, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that defence procurement process has been simplified and the procurement is happening with due diligence and speedily. She also urged Indian manufacturers to produce quality products for defence forces and to convince the forces to buy their products.
Defence Minister said at Indian Defence Conclave 2018, “”The armed forces who actually use the equipment should be convinced. It is not necessary that the armed forces will have to be bound by me or forced by me or compelled by me to buy it (from an Indian company)… I cannot say that to them. I have to work to make sure that their operational preparedness is in no way curbed”.
Sitharaman said, “Procurement has simplified. Procurement is happening with due diligence intact, but it is happening speedily”.
Sitharaman also called on Indian manufacturers to change the mindset and to look at the market outside the country to sell their products to the countries that don’t have production facilities for defence equipments.
Smt @nsitharaman attends the India Defence Conclave as Chief Guest, organised by the Defence Innovators & Industry Association in New Delhi. pic.twitter.com/GcAhiggzY6
— Raksha Mantri (@DefenceMinIndia) November 15, 2018
She said, “I appeal to you all to get out of that mindset. There are several other countries which are buying (defence equipment) that do not have the capacity to produce. They never had a history of attempting to produce defence components. Look at markets outside. Make in India is not just for making in India”.
India faces difficulties in defence procurement because of the lengthy procurement procedures and lake of development and production capabilities of Indian manufacturers for high tech weapons and equipments for defence forces. To fill the gap simplified procurement process is required.
Recently a government document said that govt inked the new Rafale deal considering the reducing combat capability of Indian Air Force and enhancing combat capabilities of adversaries. It said, “The combined effect of our own reducing combat potential and our adversaries enhancing their combat capabilities made the situation asymmetrical and extremely critical. An urgent need was felt to arrest the decline in the number of fighter squadrons in IAF and enhance their combat capabilities”.
