Expressing concern over India's over dependence on imports of weapon systems, Defence Minister A K Antony today warned PSUs and ordnance factories that they will be "left out" if they don't become competitive.
In his address at an awards function for defence PSUs and ordnance factories, he urged the private and public sector to work "in tandem" and adhere to the timelines of projects while working in a transparent manner.
"Gone are the days of monopoly. You have to be competitive and work towards that. If you don't do that, you will be left out," he said.
According to Antony, though the public sector has been manufacturing advance weapon systems and platforms over the years, the pace and direction of the progress have left a lot to be desired.
"Our over dependence on imports has made us one of the largest importers of defence equipment in the world. Our public sector must own up large responsibility in realising our aspirations of self-reliance in the defence sector," he said.
Antony said there is tremendous scope for both the public and private sector to grow and play a meaningful role in manufacturing defence equipment and platform for the armed forces.
"Even if both the public and private sector work to their full potential, they would not be able to fulfill all the requirements of the Services in the near future," he said.
"The private and public sector must look upon each other as healthy competitors, rather than rivals," Antony said.
On the occasion, Antony presented Raksha Mantri's Awards for Excellence -2011-12 to institutions and individuals. Awards in 11 categories were given. The award for all round excellence for 2011-12 has been given to Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI).
The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Defence Jitendra Singh, Secretary (Defence Production) GC Pati and chairmen and CMDs of defence PSUs.
