New Defence procurement policy likely to get final nod by March 21: Parrikar

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Friday hinted that the final clearance to the new procurement policy is likely to be given by March 21.

“I think we need to be patient. We would rather have a good document slow and steady then a bad document in haste...But, to all those concerned about what is going to happen to our vision of Make in India in this sector, let me tell that our policy is on the runway and it will soon take off to greater heights,” the minister said.

Addressing a gathering at the opening of the three-day technical festival of IIT Roorkee - Cognizance 2016 - the minister, striking a confident note, said that “nuclear and other sanctions imposed on India ended up helping out in creating its own technology”.

Without naming previous regimes, Parrikar said things are taking time to change since it’s difficult to “shake off” decades of “inertia”.

“Our new defence procurement policy not only aims to incentivise and promote indigenous production but also cut the red tape and remove bureaucratic hurdles, which have delayed plans in the past,” he said.