The CAG report relating to the Indian Air Force has highlighted various anomalies and the unprofessional manner in which defence acquisitions are handled.
It is administratively easy and politically appealing to debar an errant entity, but the unintended consequences of debarment can be challenging to handle in high-technology areas such as defence
The benchmark price could be different from the initial cost estimate because, in many cases, the negotiation stage is reached several years after in-principle approval.
Adhering to the RTI Act in letter and spirit will lead to more responsible decision-making, greater accountability, and more credibility to the actions of the MoD.
Foreign collaborations optimised for profit, risk-sharing and a common goal of achieving technological superiority could well enable India to break into the global market in select areas.
It would be a bold gesture if MoD decides to categorise all development projects under Make-II. This will send a strong message to the industry and to the nation about MoD’s earnestness to promote private sector participation.
Indian industry, which is the intended beneficiary of this preference policy, needs to play a proactive role in facilitating the smooth implementation of the order.
Why the objective sought to be achieved through the strategic partnership scheme could not be attained by resorting to an existing provision in DPP 2016?
While developing critical defence technologies has undeniable benefits, their acquisition through Transfers of Technology brings numerous complexities and eventually may deliver limited benefits.
Problems of Costing in Defence Procurements
The benchmark price could be different from the initial cost estimate because, in many cases, the negotiation stage is reached several years after in-principle approval.