Impact of Embargo on Defence Imports
It would be helpful if MoD issues a formal order addressing the concerns expressed by various stakeholders about certain aspects of the negative list, especially its impact on projects that involve foreign OEMs and the purpose of bifurcating the capital budget.
Atma Nirbhar through Arms Import Ban
The negative list of embargoed defence items is one more step towards creating a strong domestic arms industry and making India self-reliant in defence production.
Public Private Partnership: A Model for Army’s Base Workshops
The PPP model helps in improving the productivity and exploiting the full potential of asset-based services that base workshops provide. This is particularly relevant when there exists a competitive market and a benchmark for the army between an in-house and an external solution.
A Case for Deferring Promulgation of DPP 2020
Considering the impending financial crunch due to the Covid-19 pandemic and uncertainty about allocations in the coming years, it is unlikely that the MoD will be able to launch many new procurement programmes under the new DPP any time soon.
Draft DPP 2020 – Keep it Simple
Draft DPP 2020 needs to cut out obfuscation, repetitions, and bring out core issues for the consideration of the decision-makers in a concise and clear manner.
Refining Draft DPP 2020: Some Suggestions
Draft DPP-2020 marks a paradigm shift from the past in many respects. It contains several new features intended to hasten the procurement process and provide a further fillip to the Make in India initiative in defence.
Make-II: Need to Prevent Duplication of Efforts and Backdoor Entry of Import
The government’s decision to allow the private sector to undertake the development of complex defence equipment is a step in the right direction. It will help forge a larger innovation system to meet the diverse requirements of national security. However, caution may be required to avoid duplication of efforts and prevent indirect import.
Defence Investor Cell Needs Fleshing Out
The Cell will remain hamstrung if its powers are not clearly defined, especially in regard to securing budgetary support which is to be provided by the Director General of Quality Assurance.
