New Delhi: Policies are being liberalised to allow a fair competition between both the defence public sector units (DPSUs) and the private sector and that the recently finalised strategic partnership (SP) policy will take care of it, defence minister Arun Jaitley said on Tuesday.
Underscoring the government’s priority on indigenous manufacturing of military hardware, the minister said: “No country can indefinitely win wars and battles on the strength of trying to buy and import equipment from outside. Its security preparedness would be incomplete if it relies only on that.”
Referring to the SP model for involving leading domestic private sector firms along with foreign entities for defence production, Mr Jaitley said besides encouraging defence manufacturing, it aims to create a vibrant defence manufacturing ecosystem in the country through involvement of both the major Indian corporates as well as the MSME sector.
“There is no reason why we cannot become a force to reckon with (in defence production),” he said during an event where the Raksha Mantri’s awards were given to Ordnance Factories and DPSUs.
Under the strategic partnership model, Government plans to rope in select private firms to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign entities.
In an indirect reference to Pakistan, Jaitley said security requirements are dictated by the kind of neighbourhood India has. “Obviously, in view of the peculiar situation from geo- political point of view where we are located, our preparedness is the best deterrent and which is certainly a guarantee for peace as far as our region is concerned.”
Minister of state for defence Subhash Bhamre, secretary (defence production) Ashok Kumar Gupta, Vice-Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Sarath Chand, Vice-Chief of Naval Staff Vice-Admiral Karambir Singh, Vice-Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal S.B. Deo, were among the senior officials who participated in the function.
