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In Episode 1, we established a fundamental reality of working with the Indian defence ecosystem: there is no single customer called “the Army.” Different arms, services, formations and operational environments have different requirements. And the person who uses a system may not be the person who defines the requirement, controls the budget or conducts the procurement.
In Episode 2, we went one step further.
The military does not simply buy technology. It buys operational effectiveness. A sophisticated product is valuable only when it helps deliver the required operational effect — and that means understanding the environment, reliability, maintainability, interoperability and the realities of operating in an adversarial environment.But even if you understand the operational problem and your technology can solve it, there is still another question: Is that problem actually a priority for the military right now? That is the focus of Episode 3 of Defence Procurement: A Practitioner’s Perspective.
Military organisations have more capability requirements than they have the resources, time or capacity to address simultaneously. So priorities are shaped by several factors — including the threat, operational experience, doctrine and concept of operations, and available resources.An emerging threat can suddenly make a capability far more urgent. Operational experience can expose gaps that were previously underestimated. Doctrine determines how a technology can actually be employed. And resources determine which capabilities can realistically receive attention.
For industry, the lesson is important:You can have the right technology, solve a real problem, and still arrive at the wrong time.Understanding the problem, priority and timing is therefore critical before approaching the military.
Brigadier Narendra Pratap Singh (Retd) is a Defence Technology Strategist, AI and Digital Transformation Leader, and former Director of Artificial Intelligence in the Indian Army. He is currently the CEO of Mindsprintz Consulting, advising defence organisations, startups, and industry on artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, digital transformation, and the future of warfare.
