NEW DELHI: In a major push for the indigenous defence industry, the Indian Army’s almost all approvals will go to the local manufacturers, Lieutenant General BS Raju, Vice Chief of Army Staff said on Saturday. “Most of the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) – 90% and above -- will be given to the indigenous manufacturers. We will come more than half a distance to meet your aspirations,” said Lt Gen Raju. To bring clarity and smoothen the process, the Preliminary Staff Qualitative Requirements (PSQRs) is being simplified.
The PSQRs specify to the vendor the exact equipment being asked for, the functional characteristics of the hardware or software, costs and the timeline for delivery. The message from the top, Lt Gen Raju said, is very clear: fight future wars with indigenous equipment. “We will not ask you for the moon. The PSQRs that we are going to issue are going to be reasonable so that you are able to produce.”
The Vice Chief mentioned that if their equipment can meet even 80% of the Army’s aspirations, then the force will go ahead and issue orders. Lt General Raju was in Udhampur to inaugurate the North Tech Symposium organized by the Army’s Northern Command. The symposium acts as a platform for an exchange of ideas between the Army and domestic firms.
The Army said 162 companies from the Indian defence players exhibited their products. In addition, 42 innovative solutions by Army establishments towards enhancement of combat potential of the Army were also on display. “We need drones of all kinds which are able to do persistent surveillance and carry payloads to the place of choice,” said Lt Gen Raju. Pointing to the procedural delays and the consequent complications, he acknowledged that there was a need to further simplify procedures so that they are more flexible to meet the aspirations of the troops, the industry and the users. The Army in the last two years has entered into contracts worth Rs 40,000 crore with the Indian industry, he said.