Govt for greater role of pvt sector in defence industry

NEW DELHI: Government is taking steps to enhance the role of private sector in the defence industry by encouraging consortiums and joint ventures, Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam said here today.

"We have relied on public sector in the past but increasingly we want to leverage the capabilities of private sector," he said while addressing the Defence Communication seminar here.

"These options include promoting consortium, joint ventures and public private partnership. The ultimate aim is to create indigenous capabilities and achieve the aim of self-reliance in the defence sector," he added.

On the ambitious Tactical Communication System (TCS) networking project of the Army, Raju said after a few delays, the programme was "well on the way.

"This project is in progress under the 'Make' category and provides the Indian industry an excellent opportunity to seek its share in defence production," he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Army Chief General V K Singh said the armed forces were moving towards network-centricity from platform-based capabilities.

"Networks, whether they are human or electrical, ensure that there is greater amount of synergy between various levels and between the various ingredients of the force," he said.