Defence Ministry begins review of manual for big-ticket purchases

Indian Express

6 hours ago

Five years after publishing the detailed manual for defence capital procurements, the Ministry of Defence has initiated a comprehensive review of the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020.
The move comes at a time the government has upped big-ticket military procurements, prioritising those made indigenously. It is aimed at easing and streamlining big-ticket defence procurements while aligning it with existing central government policies and initiatives.
The DAP governs all capital procurements, while the Delegation of Financial Powers to Defence Services (DFPDS-2021) is the manual that governs all revenue procurements, including smaller equipment, ammunition, spares and other items for overhauls, refits and maintenance of defence platforms.
A committee headed by the Director General (Acquisition) has been constituted to conduct extensive deliberations with all stakeholders, the Defence Ministry said Thursday.
Sources said the requirement for further clarification of certain sections in the DAP was put forth by the services and the industry.
It will comprise senior officers from the Defence Ministry, representatives from the defence industry and academia. Former bureaucrat Apurva Chandra, who had earlier served as DG (Acquisition), was appointed as the Principal Advisor to the panel.
The ministry said the panel has begun consultations and has invited suggestions from stakeholders by July 5.
The suggestions were sought on policy/procedural changes to streamline acquisition processes, covering categorisation, ease of doing business, conduct of trials, post-contract management, fast-track procedures, and adoption of new technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Suggestions have also been sought on language improvements to eliminate ambiguity, remove inconsistencies, and enhance procedural clarity in the DAP and other relevant issues.
The ministry said the DAP review is aimed at streamlining existing capital procurement rules to meet the operational requirements and modernisation of the Armed Forces in a time-bound manner.
It will also look at aligning acquisition procedures with central government policies and initiatives to achieve self-reliance in defence by promoting technology infusion through indigenously designed and developed systems.
The review seeks to enable 'Make in India' by promoting defence manufacturing in India through facilitation of joint ventures and Transfer of Technology for the private sector, encouraging foreign OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) via FDI alignment, and establishing India as a global defence manufacturing and MRO hub.
It is also aimed at promoting design and development in both public and private sectors, with a focus on startups, innovators, and the private defence industry for indigenous technology infusion.