Policy delay keeps defence firms grounded

Govt is struggling to forge consensus on policy for selecting strategic partners for defence prodn

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, even after repeated unfulfilled promises, has been unable to formulate a policy for nominating “strategic partners” — or private companies pre-selected as the defence ministry’s production agency in ten different technology areas such as warships, submarines, aircraft and others.

While the new Defence Procurement Procedure of 2016 (DPP-2016) was promulgated on March 28, it has a gaping hole where Chapter VI should be. This is the chapter on strategic partners, the policy for which has still not been finalised.

The idea of strategic partners was mooted by the Dhirendra Singh Committee, which, in July 2015, recommended amendments to