'With the new DPP, there will be greater transparency and faster clearances.'
With the armed forces going on a fast-track modernisation drive after 26/11 terror strikes, Defence Minister A K Antony on Wednesday said that the "Unnecessary procedures, bottle-necks and red-tape should be cut down for hastening procurement procedures." Antony was addressing the "Jumbo" Majumdar Seminar on 'Dominance of Aerospace Power', in New Delhi.
In a move to cut down delays in armament procurement, the government reintroduced the fast track process in modified form and to make field trials of weapons systems more transparent.
Army, Navy and Air Force commanders received enhanced powers to address urgent operational requirements quickly.
As the DefenceExpo gets underway in Goa, Brigadier S K Chatterji (retd) says the proposed Defence Procurement Procedure 2016 should ensure that the Indian defence industry is on the path to design, develop and make in India.
India has declared 2025 as the year of defence reforms, aiming to establish integrated theatre commands to enhance synergy among the three armed forces and transform the military into a technologically-advanced combat-ready force. The reforms will also focus on streamlining acquisition procedures, promoting collaboration, and leveraging emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and robotics.
'India has the capital to invest in defence production.' 'With clear timelines and commitments, private industry can deliver surge capacity effectively.'
The Indian Air Force is set to procure a compact, indigenous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system for its elite Special Forces unit, designed to operate in extreme conditions and high altitudes.
Defence Procurement Manual 2025 lays down the guiding principles for revenue procurements in the defence ministry worth around 1 trillion in a financial year.
Former India women's hockey captain Asunta Lakra has formally challenged the ethics proceedings initiated against her by Hockey India, citing procedural irregularities and questioning the Ethics Committee's jurisdiction. Lakra denies all allegations as "false, baseless, malicious, motivated and defamatory," and highlights issues with the committee's constitution and the incomplete documentation provided. This challenge comes amidst a broader context of sexual harassment allegations in Jharkhand hockey and institutional intimidation claims.
Russia, being bogged down by the Ukraine war and prioritising the requirements of its own armed forces, along with India's consistent diversification policy, will remain a major challenge to the bilateral partnership, note Harsh V Pant and Aleksei Zakharov.
A doctor in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir, has been suspended following an inquiry into alleged large-scale procedural irregularities, including a pacemaker implantation scam where nearly 50 per cent of evaluated patients underwent unnecessary advanced cardiac surgical procedures. The inquiry revealed fraudulent insurance claims, patient exploitation, and manipulation of medical records.
'The tools of warfare are changing. The MoD must deepen its engagement with technology thinkers that can present compelling visions of where warfare may be heading.'
The significant changes include devolution of powers within the ministry and the service headquarters and concurrent running of the acquisition process.
In what is seen as a significant move, the DAP featured measures to reduce delay in procurement of essential items by the three services as it proposed a new enabling provision to acquire them through capital budget under a simplified procedure in a time-bound manner.
The United Progressive Alliance government has given a clean chit to former defence minister George Fernandes in the defence procurements made during the Kargil conflict.
'Currently, it takes between two and three years to formulate the request for proposal for procuring specific military equipment for the armed forces. It should not be this way.'
The Indian defence ministry has initiated a project to indigenously design and develop a 1000-kg aerial bomb for the Indian Air Force (IAF), aiming to enhance self-reliance in the defence sector.
We have been fine-tuning and improving the Defence procurement Procedure based on periodical reviews," he said while inaugurating the 5th International Land and Naval Systems Exhibition in New Delhi. "The current procurement procedure is also under review to make it more transparent and user-friendly," Antony said.
The Indian government is planning to develop an unmanned combat search and rescue aircraft for the Indian Air Force, designed to operate autonomously and in challenging terrains.
A Delhi court has convicted a man in a narcotics case involving the recovery of a commercial quantity of heroin, stating that the prosecution proved the chain of evidence and recovery beyond reasonable doubt.
The army is planning to procure 100 self-propelled artillery howitzers and three Indian vendors, including two private companies, have been selected for trial of their equipment, Defence Minister A K Antony told the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Against the backdrop of scams such as the VVIP chopper deal, a new defence procurement policy came into force ay, which aims at enhancing transparency and probity in military purchases and gives first right of refusal to Indian vendors to promote indigenous industry.
The Indian Defence Ministry has approved the procurement of 114 Rafale fighter jets from France, a significant step towards bolstering the Indian Air Force's combat capabilities. The decision comes ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to India.
'Make-in-India played a key role in India's effective action against terrorism during Operation Sindoor.'
Punjab Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora has challenged his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), claiming it is illegal and unconstitutional. The Punjab and Haryana High Court heard arguments and adjourned the matter to May 14. Arora was arrested in connection with an alleged Rs 100-crore GST fraud-linked money laundering case.
Move over artillery gun deals stamp paper fodder and other scams! India's pinnacle of subterfuge will soon belong to a new hustle called offsets on which pliant Indian defence manufacturers are set to ride to riches. Setting the stage for this shakedown is a disinterested Ministry of Defence (MoD), which has artlessly authored a scamster's delight called the Defence Offset Procedure.
The Indian Defence Ministry has refuted media reports suggesting a pause in defence purchases from the US, clarifying that procurement processes are ongoing despite tariff tensions between the two countries.
India fully utilised its military modernisation budget in 2024-2025 -- the first time in five years -- and signed a record Rs 2 trillion defence contracts.
"The amended second draft (known as DAP) has since been finalised by the review committee driven by tenets of defence reforms announced as part of the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan' and has been placed in the public domain," the ministry said.
It also sought exemption from Research and Development Cess for joint ventures implementing the offset obligations under the Defence Procurement Procedure introduced a couple of years ago to energise the defence market.
Seeking to avoid allegations of favouritism and scams in acquisitions, the defence ministry is planning to put an end to single-vendor tenders and is expected to issue directions to the services headquarters soon in this regard.
'The procurement cycle still consumes too much time; little has changed.'
The new supplies of the Igla-S air defence missiles have been received by the Indian Army a couple of weeks ago and are being provided to the forward formations for taking care of the threat from enemy fighter aircraft, choppers and drones on the borders.
"Within a few months we are going to change the defence procurement procedure again," Defence Minister A K Antony told the Lok Sabha during Question Hour.
The army is planning to procure 100 self-propelled artillery howitzers and three Indian vendors, including two private companies, have been selected for trial of their equipment, Defence Minister A K Antony told the Lok Sabha on Monday.
The defence sector is seeing renewed interest by Indian corporates, says Jyoti Mukul
Putin's State visit will centre on fixing the huge India-Russia trade imbalance, with both sides pushing to lower duties, ease non-tariff barriers, and seal a landmark mobility pact to send more Indian workers to Russia.
'Under the present Defence Procurement Procedure, it would have been a nightmare, and a long, long one at that, to build 108 Rafales in India. Modi realised this and took the wise decision, though it is a definitive setback for his Make in India scheme.'
