“Aatmanirbharta” in defence: MoD initiates capital purchases worth Rs 45,000 crore

Also cleared: Light Armoured Multipurpose Vehicles (above); Dhruvastra air-to-surface missiles; and 12 Sukhoi-30 MKI fighters

 

By Ajai Shukla

Business Standard, 16th Sept 23

 

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, heading the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) on Friday for nine capital acquisition proposals worth about Rs 45,000 crore. 

 

The DAC decided that all these procurements would be made from Indian vendors under the Buy (Indian - Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured (IDMM)/Buy (Indian) category.

 

Rajnath felt this would result in a substantial push to the Indian defence Industry towards achieving the goal of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat.”

 

To enhance protection, mobility, attack capability and increased survivability of mechanised forces, the DAC accorded an AoN for procurement of Light Armoured Multi-purpose Vehicles (LAMV) and for Integrated Surveillance and Targeting System (ISAT-S). 

 

Separately, the DAC cleared an AoN for procurement of High Mobility Vehicles (HMV), and for Gun Towing Vehicles (GTVs) for swift mobilisation and deployment of artillery guns and radars.

 

The DAC also approved procurement of Next Generation Survey Vessels (NGSVs), which will greatly enhance its capabilities in hydrographic operations.

 

The DAC also accorded AoN for Indian Air Force (IAF) operations, which include avionic upgradation of Dornier aircraft to improve their accuracy and reliability for operations. 

 

The DAC cleared the procurement of Dhruvastra short range air-to-surface missiles (SR-SAR) as potent, indigenous precision guided weapons (I-PGW) for the indigenous Dhruv ALH Mk-IV helicopters. 

 

An AoN was also accorded for procurement of 12 Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft with associated equipment from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

 

During the meeting, Rajnath Singh stated that it was time to upgrade indigenisation targets. “Rather than a threshold of 50 per cent indigenous content for IDDM projects, we should aim for a minimum 60-65 per cent indigenous content,” he said.