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The Ministry of Defence has reiterated its commitment to reforming acquisition processes, easing business for domestic players, and accelerating the delivery of modern equipment to the armed forces. At the 10th edition of India Defence Conclave, the twin objectives of achieving self-reliance in defence manufacturing and ensuring timely modernization of India’s armed forces, was highlighted.
The keynote address was delivered by Addl Secretary, Department of Defence, Dipti Mohil Chawla, who stressed that innovation must extend beyond technology to processes and organizational culture. “Our vision is to move from license production to fully indigenous solutions. Industry and users must work transparently so we can provide the right equipment at the right time,” she said.
The session, moderated by Rajinder S. Bhatia, Chairman, Defence Business, Kalyani Group, featured insights from Rear Admiral Brijesh Vashishta (Retd), Director, Quality, Solar Defence & Aerospace Ltd, Air Marshal Shirish B. Deo (Retd), Founder & CMD, JSR Dynamics, and Sanjeev Kulkarni, Board Member, Optimus Logic.
Chawla outlined the evolution of defence procurement, from manual-intensive procedures in 2010 to the Defence Manufacturing Policy (DMP) 2025, which prioritizes ease of business, objective evaluation of industry readiness, and speed of acquisition. She urged both industry and users to be upfront about capabilities and constraints, enabling the Ministry to fill capability gaps with global sourcing where necessary, while simultaneously strengthening domestic production.
10th India Defence Conclave | Knowledge Session III | Reforming Defence Procurement
During the interactive segment, participants discussed how India’s defence industry has grown since 2019, with domestic production expanding steadily, exports increasing, and private and start-up companies contributing to critical supply chains. She stressed that realistic expectations and collaborative engagement between users and manufacturers are key to delivering operationally ready systems, citing recent operations, including Op Sindoor, as examples of integrated planning and rapid response facilitated by modernised systems.
Panelists underlined the importance of speed in procurement and acquisition, noting that traditional timelines often hampered operational readiness. “We are committed to removing procedural bottlenecks while maintaining accountability,” Chawla said. Adding, that the Ministry is focused on creating transparent processes that allow the industry to innovate and scale.
The discussion also highlighted the role of software-driven technology, air defence modernization, joint operations, and theatre-level planning as part of the broader vision of operational self-reliance. The additional secretary, Ministry of Defence urged the companies to leverage civilian industrial expertise, particularly in electronics and complex systems, to accelerate defence manufacturing capabilities.
During the Q&A session led by Rajinder S. Bhatia, industry representatives raised questions about procedural clarity, timelines, and capacity-building initiatives. The Ministry assured participants that DMP 2025 would address multi-environment requirements, simplify procedures, and ensure that both users and industry are empowered to meet national security objectives effectively.
Key Takeaways:
- Defence procurement is being reoriented for speed, transparency, and ease of doing business.
- Industry and armed forces are being encouraged to work collaboratively and honestly about capabilities and constraints.
- India is transitioning from license production to self-reliance, while leveraging global sourcing when required.
- Operational readiness, including examples like Op Sindoor, underscores the need for technology integration and joint planning.
- DMP 2025 is positioned as a blueprint for aligning policy, industry capacity, and user requirements by 2025 and beyond.
