DRDO should focus on areas where it has capacity to deliver: Manmohan
TNN Aug 1, 2012, 02.00AM IST
NEW DELHI: With India still importing well over 60% of its military hardware and software, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday asked DRDO to concentrate on key strategic and military technology areas to ensure weapon systems are developed without huge time and cost overruns.
In the backdrop of crucial projects like the Tejas light combat aircraft running way behind schedule, the PM said, “The share of the indigenous content in defence procurement continues to be low. We need to take a hard look at the pipeline of our projects and focus our time and material resources on selected areas where we have demonstrated capacity to deliver projects within reasonable time and cost.”
Holding there was “a net deterioration in international strategic and security environment”, “political uncertainties in our neighbourhood”, turmoil in West Asia and ever-growing terrorism and cyber threats, the PM said the armed forces would be provided the “wherewithal” to secure “our frontiers”.
This will, in the long term, help India to build a robust domestic defence industrial base, in both the public and private sectors, to compete with global players in developing state-of-the-art technologies.
“We need to give the industry a boost and quicken the pace of development. The role of DRDO is this is truly critical, given that there are 800 enterprises supporting its projects and programmes,” he said.
Readers’ opinions (15)
sd (delhi) 27 days ago
first of all manmohan singh should look for indian industry which is shutting down day by day . indian industries keep on labeling chinese products due to low pricing in china & poor facilities given to industrialist like electricity etc. number of forms are there to fill at the time of dispatches, waste of time & paper. they should implement gst to get rid of various taxes
ADM (Bangalore)3 Followers 27 days ago Silver: 1463323
DRDO is a public sector failure and MMS is a public elect failure……
Baba (Delhi) 27 days ago
Bio-toilets of DRDO is only required for using in extreme cold areas where temperature is sub-zero and some what beneficial in trains…… but in plains in normal temperatures in villages it works just like any normal toilet with under ground septic tank… only difference is they use more costly metal septic tank …. and even they add some bacteria in to the tanks…. it is essential as faecal matter degradation occurs naturally…….. It is only helpful earning of crores of rupies for DRDO ToT holders and gain some media hype for DRDO people by fooling the rural development minister. with the cost of one so called Bio-toilet 4 toilets can me constructed in villages that too with using local available resources and emplying local unemplyed people. Using fasionable words”Bio-Toilets” they r fooling common man of the country… and the ministers as well…….
Pram (Mumbai) 28 days ago
In which area MMS has capacity to deliver?
Sopan Thengadi (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) 5 Followers 28 days ago Silver: 3566434
The ‘delivery capacity’ of DRDO and other PSUs are well known. Tejas, Mig 21, LCH projecet, MBT Arjun, Air India – the list of underperformers is unending !!!
sinha.asok (Patna) 57 Followers 28 days ago Gold: 5587432
In a country all limelight is hogged by the politicians and bureaucrats and scientists are not even recognised for their contributions, it is too much to expect much from them. MMS should, first of all, start delivering on the social and economic fronts to prepare a conducive environment to face deteriorating security situation on the international stage.
pk (delhi) 28 days ago
Manmohan singh better focus on some economic strategies for country, rather than blaming DRDO
pr (bengaluru) 28 days ago
Once upon a time a cat mewed and dozed off again when the entire country plunged into darkness
Sudhir (IND) 57 Followers 28 days ago Gold: 10.5K542
Manmohan Singh is the most corrupt PM, Hindustan as ever seen. He as given Secular Congress members licences to loot the public.
hihari (Canada) 21 Followers 28 days ago Silver: 4534432
Sach bola MMS. DRDO has been putting its foot everywhere to have budget worth billions of dollars, but has delivered not even 50% of major projects! MMS bolts sach hai par karta kuch nahi hai, kya Karen iska!
Kartun Mhd with bomb (Kangress hate camp) 28 days ago Gold: 5022441
Manmohan should relax, because he does not have capacity to focus anywhere, except on Sonia’s instructions.
Air Cmde Raghubir Singh(Retd) (Pune) 28 days ago
Yes of course ideally DRDO should be concentrating on key military technologies to deliver without time & cost over runs-but how? If we have lagged behind in Tejas, option is not to get out of the aircraft development & concentrate on say making guns –we have to catch up with aviation technology too. Developing appropriate technologies should be national mission. For example we have been manufacturing MiG’s in our Hindustan Aeronautics for the last 50 years or so. Has the joint program between Russia & India lead us to any worthwhile aviation technology which could have been useful in our LCA or was it merely CKD’s riveted and nut-bolted in our complexes here –the Tatra way all the time? MoD must take a hard look of technology content in such joint ventures & also cost of locally assembled aircraft being comparable to the fly away imports. Now that DRDO has achieved breakthrough and much needed successes in quick successions in missiles & other areas, it must continue the dream run by change of leadership in labs which have been lagging behind. It may even think of getting service officers on deputation to man critical programs
Suraj Vanch (Wlltn) 28 days ago
the poodle barks
Dom pereira (Florida) 28 days ago
until and unless India allows the private sector to take part in defense manufacture in a big way India will never be able to be self sufficient in defense production. Private companies have the capacity to follow strict time frame which is very crucial to bring the cost down. In the U.S private firms run most defense companies and the results are for all to see.
dasg (ny) 28 days ago
PM Singh also ask this question to himself, has he capacity to deliver on much needed economic reforms on coal, power, labour and much else. It is easy to point to failures by others. He has failed miserably and hapless public is paying a heavy price for his incompetence in building consensus and pushing through much need economic reforms
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