For the first time, the government has cleared manufacture of low technology armament systems by the private sector and given them the go-ahead to take a stake in developing hi-tech weapons through consortia with established public sector players."Low technology mature systems can be made directly by Indian industries, both public and private," Defence Minister A K Antony said in the Rajya Sabha today, elaborating on the new "MAKE" category of the Defence Procurement policy.He said public and private industries could have a stake in hi-tech weapons too by joining as consortia with already established players."The aim of the procedure is to undertake research, design and development and production by Indian defence industries. Projects under this would involve design and development of high technology complex systems indigenously" Antony said.However, the government has kept under its own fold the development, production and upgrades of all strategic, complex and security sensitive systems."These would continue to be handled by the DRDO," Antony said. These systems include production of nuclear weapons and missiles and conventional missiles and their systems.
