NEW DELHI (PTI): The defence ministry has issued a notification for "reorganisation" of the Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) aimed at speeding up quality assurance processes and trials and "reducing layers of decision-making", officials said on Thursday.

The move is a "major reform" towards ease of doing business and to achieve 'Aatmanirbharta' in defence, the ministry said.

"The new structure under implementation will enable single-point technical support for complete equipment/weapon platform at all levels and also ensure uniformity in product-based QA. The new structure also provides for a separate Directorate of Defence Testing and Evaluation Promotion to facilitate transparent allocation of Proof Ranges and testing facilities," it said in a statement.

The ministry said in a major reform towards "ease of doing business and to achieve 'Aatmanirbharta' in defence", the Department of Defence Production, under the Ministry of Defence, has issued notification for reorganisation of DGQA which is aimed at speeding up quality assurance processes and trials, and reducing layers of decision-making.

This reorganisation also factors change in the quality assurance methodology and revised role of DGQA post corporatisation of Ordnance Factory Board, officials said.

With the corporatisation of ordnance factories into new DPSUs, increased participation of private defence industry and impetus by the government towards indigenisation, a need was felt to reorganise DGQA for an effective and efficient support to emerging defence manufacturing industry, the statement said.

The DGQA has already been steering various organisational and functional reforms after active discussions with all stakeholders in the defence manufacturing ecosystem, it added.

This arrangement coupled with automation and digitisation of standardised quality assurance processes is likely to "significantly improve" the engagement of defence industry with DGQA. The reorganised structure and ongoing functional reforms will give an impetus to indigenisation drive under 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' with availability of Indian standards or equivalent to guide manufacturers within the country, and this will also boost export of high-quality qualified defence products, it said.