Since 2014, MoD inked around 180 deals with local industry

 The Ministry of Defence has signed more than 180 contracts worth Rs 1,96,000 crore with the Indian industry since 2014 while a few are in the pipeline to be signed in the near future, the ministry said on Thursday.

"A contract for manufacture of frigates under Project P 17A was signed in February 2015 with Mazagon Dockyards Limited (MDL), Mumbai valued worth Rs 45,000 crore while two frigates under Project P1135.6 are slated to be manufactured by Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) under a contract signed in October 2018 worth Rs 14,100 crore," said Defence Ministry in a statement.

Further, contracts for manufacture of 41 Advanced Light Helicopters for Indian Air Force (IAF) and 32 ALH for Indian Navy (IN) have been signed with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in March 2017 and December 2017 with a combined value of Rs 14,100 crore.

This is in addition to procurement of 14 Dornier 228 aircraft from HAL worth Rs 1,100 crore through a contract signed in February 2015.

Seven Squadrons of Akash Missile System are being procured from BEL through a contract of October 2019 valued at Rs 6,300 crore as also the Integrated Advanced Command and Control System (IACCS) Nodes valuing Rs 7,900 crore.

The Ordnance Factory Board has been tasked to supply 464 T-90S/SK tanks worth Rs 19,100 crore for which indent has been placed by the Ministry as recently as November 2019.

Also 100 155x52mm caliber self-propelled guns are being procured under the 'Make in India' initiative of the government from L&T worth Rs 4,300 crore. Also a contract for modernization of airfield infrastructure (MAFI) to be executed through Indian vendors is under final stages of contracting.

The Services have also placed a number of contracts for private sector vendors such as Titagarh Wagons Ltd, Force Motors Pvt Ltd, Tata Power SED, Tech Mahindra Ltd, Tata Motor Ltd, Ashok Leyland Ltd, Bharat Forge Ltd, MKU Ltd, SMPP Delhi, Alpha Design for items like 1000 Tons Fuel Barges, Light Strike Vehicles, Portable Diver Detection Sonar (PDDS), RFID based SMART Card, 6x6 and 8x8 High Mobility Vehicle with Material Handling Crane, Dual Technology Mine Detector, Ballistic Helmet, Bullet Proof Jacket (BPJ) and Integrated Gunnery.

Three of the cases P-75(I) Submarines, Naval Utility Helicopters (NUH) and 114 Fighter Jets for IAF, shown as stuck in the long-winded procedures are the cases which are being progressed under SP Model (a procurement procedure, which in itself has been promulgated in May 2017 as part of DPP-2016).

Under Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), forty plus startups are working in new technology-related products.IANS