Push for strategic partnership high on govt agenda

The government’s keenness to push through the longawaited Strategic Partnership model in defence can be indicated by the fact that this was the only item on the agenda of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meet on Monday evening that lasted for a marathon two-and-ahalf hours.

Defence ministry sources said defence minister Arun Jaitley and his top aides cleared substantial ground that was described as having a “positive” outcome and a “movement forward” after the issue was discussed threadbare.

The meeting deliberated on the feedback received from the leaders of the Indian defence private industry on the powerpoint presentation titled “Revitalising Defence Industrial Ecosystem” made by the ministry on Thursday. Interestingly, the next DAC will be held either on Saturday or Monda y— a rare incidence of two DACs held so close to each other — to take up other items of military procurement and policy.

Sources also said that after the next DAC, the SP Model issue may be placed before the Union Cabinet before the month ends.

The SP model is an effort to persuade broader participation of the private sector in defence under the ‘Make in India’ framework to ensure greater self-reliance and dependability of supplies essential to meet national security objectives. Under the model, select private Indian defence with major foreign makers will be allowed to exclusively make various military platforms for a specified period of time.