New defence purchase policy will be industry friendly: Antony

Tuesday, 22 July 2008, 19:30 IST
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New Delhi: Defence Minister A.K. Antony Tuesday assured Indian industry that the new Defence Procurement Procedure-2008 (DPP-2008) will give fresh impetus to speed up the indigenisation process. “The DPP-2008 which will be released shortly will reflect our commitment to transparency and encouragement to industry,” Antony said at a seminar on “Future Infantry Combat Vehicle and Future Main Battle Tank” attended by representatives of the armed forces and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The DPP-2008 was recently finalised by the Defence Acquisition Committee (DAC) that Antony heads. Expected to be implemented by Aug 1, the policy will be pegged on transparency and a time-bound procurement process. “Just wait for 10 days when DPP-2008 will be released. I think you will not be disappointed,” Antony said. “One must achieve both speedy indigenisation and procurement without compromising on transparency,” he added. “The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has put its stamp on the DPP-2008 and it will be operationalised from Aug 1,” defence ministry principal spokesman Sitanshu Kar has said. The ministry is likely to make a formal announcement on this later this month. Besides Antony, Defence Secretary Vijay Singh, Secretary (Defence Production) Pradeep Kumar, Director General (Acquisitions) Shashi Kant Sharma, Indian Army chief Gen. Deepak Kapoor and representatives of the navy and air force attended the July 9 DAC meeting here. “The DPP incorporates the cumulative and collective experience of the services and the ministry with regards to the procurement process in the last two years,” Kar added. “Suitable amendments have also been affected to pave the way for speedier procurement of systems and platforms while ensuring transparency,” Kar added.
Source: IANS