Article Posted on : - Dec 22, 2015

NEW DELHI (PTI): Seeking to make defence acquisition process simpler and transparent, Indian Government has launched a new 'Make in India' website that will provide an interface with industry and promised to finalise the new revised defence procurement procedure by January.

Stating that it is an "uphill" task to change mindset, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday rued that "process" had become more important than the goal itself and asserted that the Government is in the process of creating a level playing field with more transparency.

"The last 10 years have seen that procedure has become more important than the target. The target is to provide modern equipment to the armed forces in a timely manner," he said.

The Minister said that the Ministry he had inherited was "full of mistrust" but the situation has changed to a large extent.

He hoped that the website (www.makeinindiadefence.com) would act as an enabler for the industry to get the latest news and notification regarding various aspects of the defence production.

"They (officials) should ensure that the portal works," he said.

On the much awaited new Defence Procurement Procedure, Parrikar said that the document is in the final stages of finalisation.

He said that the Defence Acquisition Council would meet either in the last week of December or the first week of January to finalise the DPP which will focus on 'Make in India'.

He said the aim is to have 40 per cent of defence procurement under 'Make in India' initiative from the current 30 per cent and raising it to 70 per cent indigenisation in the next five years.

The portal provides information related to all policy and procedural issues relevant for defence manufacturing industry.

It provides link to industrial promotion policies and programmes of various states and UTs.

The portal also gives an opportunity to an individual company to seek clarifications or ask questions. Defence Ministry officials said these would be answered within three working days.

"And if the matter is related to a third ministry, then an interim reply would be given and full answer would be given later," an official said.