Raksha Rajya Mantri Dr Subhash Bhamre said the Government has been tirelessly working towards making up for critical shortages of the armed forces over the years and the policies are now designed to make procurement and acquisition of defence platforms both fast and transparent. Dr Bhamre was addressing defence attaches of around 70 countries, strategic experts, captains of indigenous defence industry & Foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) while inaugurating the 2nd annual conclave of Foreign Defence Attaches, jointly organised by Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) and defence portal BharatShakti.in here today. 

Quoting the 2015 statement of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi who had said that the Government was spending tens of billions of dollars on acquisitions from abroad and 20 to 25 per cent reduction in imports could directly create additional jobs in India, Dr Bhamre said, “This is why defence is at the heart of our ‘Make in India’ programme. We have reformed our defence procurement policies and procedures. There is now clear preference for equipment manufactured in India. Our procurement procedures will ensure simplicity, accountability and speedy decision making.” 

Elaborating on the issue of ‘Make in India’, Dr Bhamre further said, it provides a wide opportunity and the Government would like to invite global defence companies to take advantage of India being a huge market while simultaneously sharing their technology with us. The Defence Procurement Procedure 2016 and its Chapter on Strategic Partnership provides the necessary methodology for such partnerships to flourish.

Raksha Mantri Smt Nirmala Sitharaman in a video message conveyed best wishes for the important deliberation at the conclave and informed the gathering she was looking forward to the outcome of the conclave. There were three technical sessions entitled ‘Is India Ready to Absorb High-End Technology,’ Defence Exports: The Indian Experience’ and ‘Defence Technology and Models Abroad.’ The valedictory address was delivered by the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC) Lt Gen Satish Dua. 
 

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MJPS/NA/DK 

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