Revised Defence Procurement Manual expected shortly

The revised Defence Procurement Manual, which is expected shortly, is likely to incorporate "long term support agreement" in the indigenisation project, an Army official said on Tuesday.

It will also have several provisions that have been amended to make it easier for industries to take part in the defence manufacturing process. "The revised Defence Procurement Manual will soon come. It will likely to incorporate long term support agreement in the indigenisation projects," said Brigadier Ratan Kumar, Deputy Director General, EM (B), MGO Branch. Despite close to 70 years after Independence, India is yet to achieve self-sufficiency in the field of critical defence technologies, Kumar said adding: "Therefore, we have no choice but to import these technologies at high cost. Our aim is to achieve self-reliance in critical defence technologies as well as defence manufacturing."

The Master General of Ordinance (MGO) Branch of the Indian Army is responsible for the operational readiness of Indian Army's vast collection of weapon systems, vehicles, equipment and other things.

Brigadier Kumar, who was addressing at a regional annual MGO Branch Industry Cooperation Meet (RAMICOM) with a special theme on indigenisation of engineering department, organised jointly by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and MGO Branch, said the industries would be facilitated under the revised Manual so that they could take part in the indigenisation projects. The revised Manual would try to address the concerns of the industries.

A 'Long Term Support Agreement' (LTSA), in some cases, could be incorporated in the revised Defence Procurement Manual. "We'll arrange LTSA in the revised Defence Procurement Manual. It is not there in the existing system," he added. The Ordinance Factory and Indian Army have a humongous opportunity for the private sector in Eastern India, said Sunil Kumar Chourasia, Additional DGOF and Member, Ordinance Factory Board.

"Foreign sources are costly and unsustainable. We would ask the industry bodies of the East, especially SMEs and MSMEs to gear up and grab the huge opportunity that the Indian defence manufacturing sector offers. India is among top 10 countries in the world in terms of military expenditure. Our country is likely to spend around $130 billion in defence modernisation in the coming seven-eight years," said another senior Army officer.