Defence ministry sets up panel to steer review of arms-buying rules
NEW DELHI: The defence ministry on Thursday said it has set up a high-powered committee, headed by the director general (acquisition), to steer a comprehensive review of the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 for speedy modernisation of the armed forces and boosting self-reliance in the critical sector.
The panel includes senior officers from the ministry, representatives from the defence industry and academia.
'Following the declaration of 2025 as the 'year of reforms', the defence ministry has initiated a comprehensive review of the DAP 2020 to align it with existing government policies and initiatives. A committee headed by the director general (acquisition) has been constituted to carry out extensive deliberations with all stakeholders,' the defence ministry said. The panel has begun consultations with the stakeholders and invited suggestions from them by July 5.
The aim of the review, the ministry said, is to meet the operational requirements and modernisation needs of the armed forces in a timely manner to ensure national security and achieve 'atmanirbharta' goals by promoting technology infusion through indigenously designed and developed systems.
It also seeks to boost the Make-in-India initiative by promoting defence manufacturing through facilitation of joint ventures and transfer of technology for the private sector, encouraging foreign original equipment manufacturers to invest in the country and establish India as a global defence manufacturing and MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) hub, the ministry said in a statement.
Another goal is to 'promote design and development in both public and private sectors, with a focus on startups, innovators, and the private defence industry for indigenous technology infusion.'
The panel was formed weeks after India launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7 and struck terror and military installations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) following the Pahalgam terror strike in which 26 people were shot dead. It triggered a four-day military confrontation with Pakistan before the two sides reached an understanding on stopping all military action on May 10.
Indian forces deployed several indigenous weapons during the clash.
The panel has sought suggestions from stakeholders on a raft of issues including policy/procedural changes to streamline the acquisition processes, ease of doing business, conduct of trials, post-contract management, fast-track procedures, adoption of new technologies including artificial intelligence, and language improvements to eliminate ambiguity and enhance procedural clarity in the DAP.
On May 30, defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh told a defence conclave that DAP 2020, the document that spells out the complex procurement process, was being revisited to reflect current realities.
He said the government was taking steps to shorten the weapon procurement cycle and has already cut it by more than a year. 'The defence ministry has already, in the year of reforms, slashed the timelines for some of the processes in the procurement cycle. This would save about 69 weeks overall in the process timeline,' he said at the event.
There is a need to shift away from the traditional nomination-based procurement focused mostly on the public sector to a more competitive pricing model where both the public and private sector can compete for orders, Singh said, adding this approach was being implemented for shipbuilding and recently for the AMCA (advanced medium combat aircraft) project.
The defence ministry has declared 2025 as the year of reforms aimed at transforming the military into a technologically advanced, combat-ready force capable of tackling new challenges.
The nine areas identified by the defence ministry for focused intervention include simplifying weapons buying procedures, setting up of integrated theatre commands for the best use of the military's resources to fight future wars, and new domains such as cyber and space.
On May 29, the chief of the air staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh put the spotlight on the armed forces' agonising wait for new weapons and systems, saying he could not recall a single instance of a project being executed on time, in what was seen as a wake-up call for the country's defence production sector. 'Timelines are a big issue,' Singh said at the time.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scroll.in
17 minutes ago
- Scroll.in
Pakistan nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize, cites ‘pivotal' role during conflict with India
Pakistan announced on Saturday that it has nominated United States President Donald Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize 'in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership' during the recent conflict with India. 'The Government of Pakistan also acknowledges and greatly admires President Trump's sincere offers to help resolve the longstanding dispute of Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan – an issue that lies at the heart of regional instability,' Islamabad stated in a social media post. It also described Trump as a 'genuine peacemaker'. The winner of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize is expected to be announced in October 2026. Pakistan to recommend US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize 2026: Pakistan statement — Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) June 21, 2025 Pakistan's announcement came days after Trump claimed that he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize for multiple global peace efforts, The Hindu reported. 'I should have gotten it four or five times,' the US president was quoted as saying by AP. 'They won't give me a Nobel Peace Prize because they only give it to liberals.' In a social media post on Saturday, Trump reiterated that he would never receive a Nobel Peace Prize, 'no matter what I do'. He also repeated his claim that he had helped 'stop the war' between India and Pakistan. New Delhi has rejected Trump's assertions. On Wednesday, New Delhi stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had told the US president that India will never accept mediation to resolve tensions with Pakistan. Trump was also told that New Delhi had agreed to the ceasefire only on Islamabad's request, said India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. Hours after the statement, Trump hosted Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, at the White House. Speaking afterwards, Trump thanked both Munir and Modi for their roles in 'ending the war', and noted ongoing trade discussions with both countries, The Hindu reported. The tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad escalated on May 7 when the Indian military carried out strikes – codenamed Operation Sindoor – on what it claimed were terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The strikes were in response to the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which killed 26 persons on April 22. The Pakistan Army retaliated to Indian strikes by repeatedly shelling Indian villages along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. At least 22 Indian civilians and eight defence personnel were killed. On May 10, India and Pakistan reached an 'understanding' to halt firing following a four-day conflict. New Delhi's announcement on the decision to stop military action had come minutes after Trump claimed on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to the ceasefire. However, India has said that the decision to stop firing was taken bilaterally and that there was no intervention by the US. The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize is selected by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. The five-member panel is appointed by the Norwegian Parliament. According to the Nobel Prize website, a nomination for the Peace Prize is valid if submitted by qualified individuals such as government officials, judges, professors, former laureates or members of recognised peace organisations. This includes 'members of national Assemblies and national governments of sovereign states as well as current heads of state'. Self-nominations are not accepted.
Time of India
23 minutes ago
- Time of India
India buying US F‑35 or Russian Su‑57? Defence Secretary RK Singh reveals India's big plan for stealth fighter jet
India is not in any formal talks with the United States or Russia for acquiring fifth-generation stealth fighters like the F-35A or Su-57E, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh clarified on Friday. Instead, the country is focusing on developing its own fifth-generation aircraft—the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)—with an estimated timeline of eight years. No formal talks on F-35A or Su-57E: Defence Secy 'On F-35A and Sukhoi Su-57 E, whatever has been discussed has been informal. We don't have any formal consultation going on on these,' Singh told ANI in a podcast. He added that the focus is on indigenous capability: 'What I can talk about is our fifth-generation fighter, which will be the AMCA.' AMCA project opens to private firms For the first time, India has opened the AMCA programme to private aerospace companies. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) released a Request for Information (RFI) on Thursday, inviting bids from both public and private sector players. 'We've kept it open for the public and private sectors for the first time. The intent is that we need to have at least two aircraft manufacturers in the country, if not more,' Singh said. 'For the AMCA, the timeline is about eight years.' Execution model offers equal opportunity The AMCA programme will follow a competitive Execution Model approved by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh last month. It allows Indian companies to bid individually, through joint ventures or as consortiums. The model aims to create a level playing field across the defence aviation industry. Live Events You Might Also Like: Pakistan to get 40 more Chinese J-35 stealth jets soon: What are its capabilities and should India be concerned? HAL will benefit from competition, says Singh While HAL remains the only established military aircraft manufacturer in the country, Singh said competition would ultimately help the public-sector giant. 'There was a committee headed by me… that gave the report we need to open it up… HAL will also gain from healthy competition,' he said. He acknowledged HAL's existing limitations: 'The LCA production line has not stabilised, largely because of delays in engine supplies from the US… But they already have six years of orders with them.' Decline in reliance on Russian defence supplies Singh also said India's dependence on Russian equipment has reduced over the years. 'The percentage would have come down… maybe 40 per cent or so, from about 65–70 per cent earlier,' he said. You Might Also Like: Hypersonic missiles, next-gen BrahMos, new air defence: DRDO chief reveals long list of India's future-ready weapons Pakistan proposes Nobel Peace Prize for Donald Trump, says he played 'pivotal role during India-Pakistan crisis' However, global conflicts have disrupted defence imports from multiple partners, including Russia, Israel, France, and the United States. 'The S-400s… are delayed, but where we now have a firm schedule; they'll come next year by April,' Singh noted. He also said some Israeli contracts faced delays due to the country's ongoing conflict.
Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
Ringfencing India? After Pakistan and Afghanistan, now China holds a tri‑nation meet with Bangladesh. What it means
China recently hosted Bangladesh and Pakistan for talks in Kunming. The meeting aimed to boost cooperation in trade and connectivity. A working group will explore joint projects. This follows a similar China-Pakistan-Afghanistan meeting. India is concerned about China's growing influence in the region. Security ties between Bangladesh, Pakistan, and China are also under scrutiny. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why China, Bangladesh, Pak meeting matters for New Delhi What Pakistan, China, Bangladesh agreed in the meet Focus area Planned cooperation Economy & trade Joint projects in industry, digital economy and maritime logistics Connectivity Exploration of Belt and Road links—potentially an eastward spur of CPEC People's welfare Agriculture, climate action, health, education and youth exchanges Follow‑up A working group to translate the Kunming understandings into pilot projects Bangladesh's quiet pivot towards Pak, China Former Bangladesh military intelligence chief end 12-day China trip Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Meeting comes after China, Afghanistan, Pakistan meet last month China on Thursday brought Bangladesh and Pakistan together for an inaugural trilateral dialogue in Kunming, barely a month after hosting a similar meeting with Pakistan and Afghanistan. The closed‑door talks, led by Chinese Vice‑Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, agreed to set up a working group for 'good‑neighbourly, equal and mutually trusted' cooperation, signalling Beijing's intent to knit India's neighbours more tightly into its strategic India, the move feeds a long‑running concern that China is cultivating a ring of friendly states along the subcontinent's periphery. New Delhi already objects to the China‑Pakistan Economic Corridor running through Pakistan‑occupied Kashmir. Now, with Bangladesh's interim leadership warming to Beijing—and exploring closer ties with Islamabad—the prospect of a three‑way framework on trade, infrastructure and security raises fresh questions about India's strategic Acting Foreign Secretary Ruhul Alam Siddique joined Sun at Kunming, while Foreign Secretary‑designate Amna Baloch represented Pakistan via video. The gathering came soon after Dhaka's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus publicly asked Beijing for economic help and discreetly revived contact with Islamabad—moves that have already drawn attention in New another development that has raised red flags within India's security establishment, Major General (Retd) Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury, former Bangladesh military intelligence chief and a convicted figure in the 2004 Chittagong arms smuggling case, reportedly concluded a 12-day trip to Guangzhou, China, on June 18. His visit coincided with that of Bangladesh's interim National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman, who reportedly sought Beijing's help to arrange a backchannel meeting with Pakistan's ISI chief. Indian agencies view this synchronised movement of high-level security actors—linked to past anti-India plots—as a signal of a deeper and potentially coordinated security alignment between Beijing, Islamabad, and follows a May meeting in which China, Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to extend CPEC into Afghan territory. India had protested that any third‑country role in CPEC infringes on its sovereignty. The new Bangladesh‑Pakistan‑China line‑up suggests Beijing is applying the same template to India's eastern Thursday's statements highlighted 'true multilateralism' and insisted the talks were 'not directed at any third party', the meeting comes at a time of heightened tensions in South Asia:India's May strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and PoK, which prompted Beijing's vocal support for Islamabad.82 per cent of Islamabad's defence imports already come from agencies are probing reports that Dhaka's interim National Security Adviser has sought a Beijing‑brokered meeting with Pakistan's ISI chief.
