MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS OF MINISTRY OF DEFENCE (MOD) UNDER NARENDRA MODI GOVERNMENT

FOUR YEARS REPORT CARD OF MOD

Ministry of Defense (MOD) under UPA rule was an era of stark non-decisions led by procrastination in every sphere of responsibility. Under MOD, decision making slowed to a crawl and incompetence ensured that India’s military capability rapidly shrinks. The Defense Procurement Procedure document created by MoD became a huge obstacle  in procurement of critical military equipments affecting defense preparedness of the second largest army in the world.

The UPA rule was a lost decade for the armed forces.  

1. MOD failed to build defense Industrial eco-system for indigenous design, development  and manufacturing for defense platforms and failed to involve private sector in defense  manufacturing thereby forcing imports.
2. Defense production inefficiency resulted in low productivity forcing imports.
3. No ecosystem for Innovation via Research & Development and Centre of Excellence.
4. Morale of the armed forces low due to troubled civil-military relations over service chief  controversies: Gen. V.K. Singh, Air Chief S.P. Tyagi and Admiral D,K. Joshi.
5. Poor procurement processes delayed defence acquisitions of fighter aircraft, submarines,  artillery guns affecting Defense Preparedness and modernization.
6. Delay in procurement of ammunition compromised operational readiness.
7. Failed to deliver on “ One Rank One Pension” (OROP).
8. MOD was in the eye of storm on various defense scams like Augusta Westland Helicopters.

MOD's failure to address defense preparedness and operational readiness of the armed forces affected National Security.

India is at the cusp of metamorphosing from a top regional player to one with global clout. As India’s geo-political and economic ambitions grow, it needs to develop robust indigenous manufacturing capabilities and ecosystem to secure its ambition for self-reliance in the Aerospace and Defense industry. Owing to the dynamic security environment, India’s defense requirements are likely to increase in the foreseeable future making indigenous development of modern defence hardware and technology a top priority for the NDA government which it has addressed through game changer Defense Procurement Policy (DPP) 2016. The DDP 2016 focus is on “Make in India” and prepare India to be a  defense manufacturing hub. DPP 2016 also focuses to remove bottle necks in the procurement process  and build long term indigenous defence capabilities. The Strategic Partners & Partnership (SPP 2017) focus is to progressively build indigenous capabilities in the private sector to design, develop and manufacture complex weapon systems for the future needs of the Armed Forces and aligning the defence sector with the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Government. The focus is on initial phase segments for strategic partnership: Fighter Aircrafts, Submarines, Helicopters and Armoured Fighting Vehicles/Main Battle Tanks. Since these are long term projects involving cutting edge technology and technology transfer, it will take time for FDI to come in defence sector

Two new defense corridors have been launched in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu for indigenous manufacturing of defense platforms, hardware and software technology thus boosting privatization and MSME industry. The focus of MOD is to enhance the speed of acquisitions by removing the bottle necks in earlier procurement procedure thereby increasing the operational readiness of the armed forces. PM Modi during the launch of Tamil Nadu Defence corridor, emphasized that the defence acquisitions will no longer be long drawn process spanning 10 years in discussions without any tangible outcomes. Aquisition process for fighter aircrafts, submarines, helicopters have already been initiated. MOD is addressing all the failures of UPA ina time bound manner.

Major achievements of MOD under PM Modi are listed:

1.     DEFENSE REFORMS:

Planning And Administration

§  Prominent recommendations of Shekatkar Committee accepted, restructuring 

    and right sizing of armed forces under progress.

§  New institutional mechanism for defense planning in the form of Defense 

    Planning Committee (DPC) headed by National Security Advisor (NSA) 

    constituted.

§ Jointness operationalised in Andaman & Nicobar (A&N) command through

   grant of  comprehensive interdisciplinary powers.

§  Liberal delegation and de-centralization of financial powers for procurement.

Facilitation to MSMEs

§  Special Focus and relaxation provided to MSMEs in the DPP-2016

§  Small projects involving prototypes of Rs. 3 crores or lower, reserved 

    for MSMEs under Make-II Procedure.

§  50% of the space at Def Expo 2018 reserved for MSMEs at 50% discounted cost

    to show case their potential.

 Defence Manufacturing Sector

§  Defence Investor Cell set-up in Jan’2018, nearly 100 investors facilitated in 100 

    days.

§  Validity of Industrial Licence extended to 15 years with a provision of further 3 

    years extension.

§  De-licensing of 65-70% of  items including parts, components etc., for 

    manufacturing by industry.

Green Channel policy, 2017 allows:

§  Deemed registration status

§  Waiver of pre-dispatch inspection

§  Renewal of registration on self-certification basis Defence Public Sector Units 

    (DPSU) and Ordinance Factory Board (OFB)

§  Government test facilities opened to private sector.

§  OFB and DPSU to pay through Letter of Credit to Indian vendors in global 

    tenders.

§  Vendor registered in one DPSU deemed to be registered with all DPSUs for 

    specified products

Defence Procurement Procedure 2016

§  DPP 2016 to boost ‘Make  in India’ initiative through Buy Indian-IDDM 

    (Indigenously Designed, Developed, Manufactured).

§  Scope of Fast Track Procurement Procedure expanded and made user friendly.

iDEX scheme for Start-ups

§  Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) launched in collaboration with Start 

    Up India and Atal Innovation Mission.

§  Start-ups  to innovate new technologies to meet requirement of the  defense 

    forces and reduce dependence on imports.

§  Innovators can moot ideas without an obligation to manufacture.

Make II (Industry Funded) Procedures

§  Opportunity for industry to propose products/services for the three services 

    (Army, Navy, Air Force).

§  Reduce time of procurement to nearly one-third.

§  No retraction of Request For Proposal (RFP) once floated - Certainty of 

    procurement.

New Export Procedure

§  Requirement of end user certificate by Foreign Governments for export of 

    parts/components removed.

§  Simplified procedures for tenders, exhibitions, testing etc.

§  SOP issued to facilitate export of permissible munition items.

2.     DEFENCE ACQUISITIONS:

§  No. of Contracts Signed 204  /  Value: Rs. 2,47,987 Crores 

§  No. of AONs (Acceptance Of Necessity) 214  /  Value: Rs. 4,43,705  Crores

§  New Policy provides an opportunity for industry to propose products/services 

    suo moto to the three Services without the need for AON.

§  Protection for Foreign Exchange Rate Variation extended to the private sector 

    on full import  content.

Select Defence Acquisitions (Imported)

§  Rockets for Smerch Multiple Rocket Launchers

§  Chinook Heavy Lift  Helicopter 

§  Ultra Light Howitzer Artillery Guns  (M777)

§  Apache Attack Helicopters

§  Poseidon (P8 I) India Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft

§  Rafale Multirole Fighter Jets 

Select Defence Acquisitions (Indian)

§  Project 17 A Frigate

§  Weapon Locating Radar (Swathi)

§  4rth Brahmos Regiment

§  Advance Light Helicopter for Army

§  Pinaka Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher System

§  Tracked Self Propelled Artillery Guns

Revenue Procurement – Ammunition

Unprecedented steps taken to build up sufficient stock of ammunition:

§  Full powers for ammunition procurement delegated to Service Headquarters.

§  100 contracts worth Rs 25,000 crores finalized – deliveries commenced.

§  Further procurement worth Rs 25,000 crores in pipeline.

§  Substantial improvement in the stocking position.

Select Revenue Procurements

§  A contract for procurement of 1,86,138 bullet proof jackets with contemporary 

    specifications awarded to an Indian manufacturer under the “Buy Indian” 

    category.

§  All Terrain Vehicles for snow bound areas.

§  Bullet Proof Vehicles.

3.     DEFENCE PRODUCTION:

§  Value of Production of OFB from Rs. 11,364 crores in 2014-15 to Rs. 14,829 

    crores.

§  Value of Production of DPSU from Rs. 35,016 crores in 2014-15 to Rs. 43,930 

    crores.

§  Direct import as a percentage of value of production decreased from 29.07 to 

    23.5 %.

§  No. of industrial licenses issued to private defence industry from 2014-15 to 

    2017-18 are cumulative 242. This shows growth of private defence industry.

§  Export performance from Rs. 1940 crores in 2014-15 to Rs. 4682 crores in 2017-

    18.

§  Defence manufacturing is one of the 25 key sectors identified under “Make in 

    India” initiative.

§  Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh identified as Defence Industrial Corridors

    giving a boost to manufacturing, investments and employment opportunities.

§  Def.Expo 2018 showcased India as a emerging hub of defence manufacturing 

    with highest ever participation by Defence & Aerospace industry with total 542 

    exhibitors and 40 MOUs signed.

Recent Achievements by Private Enterprises in the Defence Industry

§  L&T 155 mm/52 calibre self propelled Howitzer gun – K9 Vajra

§  L&T delivered first indigenously designed and manufactured fast interceptor
boat with twin water jet propulsion system.

§ M/s Kalyani group, TATA Power and OFB – DRDO with the help of
private agencies developed  Advanced Towed Artillery gun system – 155 mm/52 calibre.

§  M/s Idea Forge has developed high altitude UAV – Netra Pro.

DRDO- MAKE IN INDIA

§  34 DRDO developed high value products approved for induction into Armed 

    Forces.

§  Generation of 268 IPR portfolios including 214 patents in India and abroad.

§  139 products identifies having export potential.

§  Production value of DRDO developed products cleared by Defence Acquisition 

    Council (DAC)  has grown by 60% in the last 3 years to Rs. 2,65,261 crores.

§  Airborne Early Warning & Control System (AEW&C), Indigenous ‘Eye in the 

    Sky’ airborne  surveillance system inducted into Indian Air Force in 2017.

§  State-of-art Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) for Primary Radar.

§  Air-to-Air refuelling capability.

§  Advanced Towed Artillery Gun system (ATAGS) with a firing range of 45 km is 

    being inducted into the Army under “ Make in India”.

§  TEJAS, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) inducted into IAF in 2016.

§  INS Astradharini, a torpedo launch & recovery vessel, MAAREECH a surface 

    ship defence system, VARUNASTRA a ship launched anti-submarine torpedo,

    AKASH air defence system has been inducted into the armed forces.

§  Major successful trials of AGNI 5 ICBM, BRAHMOS first time fired from Su30 

    MKI, NIRBHAY  a subsonic cruise missile, Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD)

     system.

4.    DEFENCE DIPLOMACY

§  Stronger defence ties with ASEAN.

§  An unprecedented outreach to the neighbours by offering line of credit for 

    defence equipment – Afghanistan, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh,

    Myanmar.

§  Enhanced defence ties with USA through joint exercises, training, defense 

    industry, high technology equipment and R&D cooperation.

§  Maintained high trajectory of bilateral defence cooperation with Russia.

§  First ever tri-services joint exercise “Indira” with Russia in Vladivostok.

§  Bilateral military industrial conferences to boost industrial engagement and 

    finalization of key capability acquisitions held.

§  Expanded engagements with Central Asia through Shanghai Cooperation 

    Organisation framework.

§  Fresh impetus to defence cooperation with West Asia, especially with UAE, 

    Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt.

§  Military cooperation agreed with Oman, concerning the use of facilities in 

    Special Economic Zone at Duqm port.

§  Deeper ties with France, UK and other European partners as well as with Israel 

    on a cross- section of defense engagements.

§  For Maritime Security in Indo Pacific region, finalized long term logistics 

    support arrangements with US and France.

5.     INDIAN COAST GUARD

§  64 indigenously built ships inducted since May 2014.

§  Rs. 4,130 crores of contraband seized.

§  Phase-II of Chain of Static Scensors approved to provide near gapless electronic 

    surveillance of the coastline.

6.    HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND DISASTER RELIEF

§  Operation Megh Rahat during Floods in J&K

§  Operation Lehar during HUDHUD cyclone in Andhra Pradesh

§  Operation Maitri during earthquake in Nepal

§  Operation Phutkal during landslide in river Phutkal

§  Operation Madad during Chennai Floods

§  Operation Sahayam during Cyclone Ockhi.

§  Supplied over 2400 tonnes of water to Maldives during failure of de-salination 

    system

§  Relief operations during incessant rains in Mumbai in 2017

§  Relief efforts during the Sri Lankan Floods.

§  Relief efforts during Kollam fire, forest fire in Uttarakhand and Theni Tamil 

    Nadu.

7.     Ex-Servicemen Welfare - Implementation of  OROP (One Rank One Pension)

§  OROP arrears paid Rs.10,788.23 crores

§  Ex- servicemen / family pensioners benefitted 65,83,104

§  Liberalised Family Pension extended to the Army personnel working at the 

    Line of Actual  Control along the Indo-China Border.

§  Monetary Allowance for Gallantry Awardees doubled with effect from 1st 

    August 2017.  

§  Issuance of Electronic-Pension Payment Orders to all defence pensioners 

    including defence civilians commenced.

8.    ARMED FORCES FLAG DAY FUND

§  An unprecedented public contribution of  more than Rs.24 crores mobilized through a special digital campaign  to raise fund for welfare of war widows, 

      children of martyrs, ex-servicemen  and their families.

9.      WAR MEMORIAL

§  To recognize and honour the gallantry of our soldiers the National War 

    Memorial is under  construction near India Gate, New Delhi.

§  It is expected to be completed by August, 2018.

10.    Mega Military Exercises/ Events

  Gagan Shakti (8th to 22 April 2018)

§  Indian Air Force massive exercise to validate its concept of Ops, real time co-
ordination,  deployment of air power in short and intense battle scenario.

§  More than 11,000 sorties flown, including 9000 fighter sorties.

§  IAF’s joint command and control structures with Army and Navy activated.

§  Dispatch rate of more than 95% for combat assets, 100% availability of combat
support systems and almost 100% dispatch rates of combat enablers achieved.

Harimau Shakti (30th April to 13th May 2018)

§  Indian and  Malaysian Armies  conducted   bilateral exercise in the 
    Malaysian Jungles in a Counter Insurgency format under the UN mandate. 

Exercise Indra-2017, (19th to 29th Oct 2017)      

§  The first ever tri-services exercise between India and Russia in Vladivostok 
    focussed on counter  insurgency operations under UN mandate.

International Fleet Review 2016, (4th to 8th Feb 2016)

§  The International Fleet Review by Hon’ble President of India was conducted off 
    Rama Krishna Beach, Vishakhapatnam. A total of 97 ships participated in the 
    event.

§  Total 24 ships from 21 foreign Navies, 22 chiefs of Navies and 26 delegations
    from about 50    foreign countries participated. 

11.     WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

§  Navika Sagar Parikrama - Circumnavigating The Globe on INSV Tarini by all

    Women Naval Officers covering 21,600 nautical miles. The voyage commenced

     on 10 September 2017 and  returned 21 May 2018. The expedition was planned 

     to  promote Ocean Sailing activities in the Navy while depicting Government of 

    India’s thrust for Women Empowerment. The voyage also    aimed to show case

    the ‘Make in India’ initiative by sailing onboard the indigenously built INSV   

    Tarini.

§  For the first time in history, a batch of first three fighter pilots were 

    commissioned and inducted     into the Indian Air Force on June 2016.

§  On 17, January 2018, Nirmala Sitharaman created record of becoming the first 

    woman defence minister to fly Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jet.