Thaindian News

New Delhi, Dec 2 (IANS) The government is encouraging consortiums and joint ventures to ensure a greater role for the private sector in the defence industry, Minister of State for Defence M.M. Pallam Raju said Thursday.

“We have relied on the public sector in the past but increasingly we want to leverage the capabilities of the private sector,” Raju said in his address to the Defence Communication Seminar here.

He said the steps the government was taking include “promoting consortium, joint ventures and public private partnership”.

“The ultimate aim is to create indigenous capabilities and achieve the aim of self-reliance in the defence sector,” he said.

He observed that the Indian industry had created a niche for itself “globally” and was now prepared and poised for greater participation in defence production at home.

On the ambitious Tactical Communication System (TCS) networking project of the Corps of Signals, Raju said after a few delays, the programme “is well on the way”.

“This project provides the Indian industry an excellent opportunity to seek its share of defence production,” he said, adding that a self-reliant Indian defence information and technology communication industry was critical to meet the Indian armed forces’ current and future military requirements.

Speaking on the occasion, Indian Army Chief General V.K. Singh said the armed forces were moving towards network-centricity from platform-based capabilities.

“Networks, whether they are human or electrical, ensure that there is greater amount of synergy between various levels and between the various ingredients of the force,” he said.