The government seems to have little fiscal space for accommodating the demand of the armed forces for additional funds, given its quantum on the one hand and the state of its revenues on the other which are already quite stressed.

As a corporatised entity, the OFB will be in a far better position to respond to the market dynamics and face the competition effectively.

The agile acquisition or C2D2 model currently under adoption by the US for its F-35 aircraft is likely to become a necessity for acquisitions in future, as disruptive defence technologies will continue to affect military systems across the world.

It would be nice to see the defence ministry setting up a task force and submitting actionable recommendations which could be considered by the finance minister while deciding the defence outlay next year.

There is a need to make it clear in the text of Paragraph 72 of DPP 2016 that no vendor other than the Development-cum-Production partner or the nominated Production Agency will be permitted to enter the tendering process at the post prototype development stage.

That the AK-203 would be produced in India with 100 per cent indigenous content in less than three years makes it a win-win deal for the Army and the Make in India initiative, with Ordnance Factory Korwa emerging as the biggest winner.

Defence capability building and capability sustenance have been adversely affected over the past decade because of inadequate allocations and the status quo approach of the Defence Services.

The challenge lies in demonstrating to potential importers that India, currently the world’s largest arms importer, has the capacity to manufacture and export the equipment required by their armed forces.