DEFENCE MAKE POLICY

INFRASTRUCTURE & DEFENCE ENTREPRENEURS’ ASSOCIATION

KULDEEP KUMAR KOHLI

PRESIDENT

09^th April, 2015

Shri Manohar Parrikar,

Honourable Minister for Defence,

Ministry of Defence,

Government of India,

South Block,

New Delhi

SUBJECT: TIMELY SHARING OF GSQR AND QUANTITIES REQUIRED FOR MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

Dear Sir,

Infrastructure and Defence Entrepreneurs Association (IDEA) is an association of Indian businesses which works closely with the Government on policy issues, interfacing aspiration of the industry with the decision makers and in the process enhancing efficiency in speedy resolution of the industry’s issues.  We are associated with more than 1500 industries in the country.

We wish to highlight three critical issues of import that resonate amongst the existing members, as also with the new entrants who are on the threshold of joining the Defence industry, which require your kind attention, for the growth of the Defence Industry in India under the MAKE programme and to make the MAKE IN INDIA ambition of the respected Prime Minister a great success.  The issues of concern are dilated below.

1.  Does the Indian manufacturer has a right to manufacture good for supplies to defence based on its own QR Quality Requirements (specifications)

The answer is no because the specifications have to be provided by the ministry of defence. The government wishes to keep the same confidential in the interest of the national security till the time the RFP is issued.

2.  Does the Indian manufacturer know the second QR ie. Quantity required by the ministry of defence for him to get geared and prepared for manufacturing the same well in advance.

The answer again is no because the ministry of defence again wishes to keep this information confidential in the national interest till the time the RFP is issued.

3.  Do the above two informations remain confidential

The answer again is no because in view of the fact that from the stage of the RFP till the time the delivery of the goods starts,  it takes almost four to eight years and hence the entire information is in the public domain from the day the RFP is issued till next four to eight years.

We do appreciate that the matters concerning security have to be given overwhelming consideration while formulating macro policies, it devolves on the government to strike a fine balance between aspirations of the industry and security concerns of the country.

Sir, “The Technology Perspective and Capability Roadmap” (TPCR) does provide necessary guidance to the Indian defence industry to an extent but the same in the present shape is very broad based and generic in nature.

It may be appreciated that in the absence of the following, the industry is handicapped for time to scout for foreign tie-ups or to establish the necessary manufacturing facilities:

a.  Firm requirements of the armed forces made known to the private sector sufficiently in advance and

b.  Timely sharing of GSQR, either during formulation in consultation with the industry or immediately after the formulation.

We shall be extremely grateful for your personal indulgence in getting the above suggestions implemented on priority which would help the defence industry in ensuring success to the “MAKE” programme of the Ministry of Defence.

Warm Regards

Yours sincerely

(KULDEEP KUMAR KOHLI)