IAF vice-chief says politics hampering defence purchases

NEW DELHI: Air Vice-Marshal PK Barbora, who on Thursday advocated opening doors wider for FDI in the defence sector, said politics was coming in the way of defence purchases.

“We have to take steps...we need to be bold enough to invite foreign direct investment (FDI), more so into defence,” he said addressing a CII seminar on energising aviation sector in India.

The Air Vice-Marshal, who is in the line of fire for imposing no-pregnancy conditions for women fighter pilots, appears to have ruffled more feathers by treading into another sensitive arena — functioning of the political process.

He said that whatever defence requirements are cleared by the government are opposed by opposition parties and that the same happens when roles change and opposition sits in government. “That impinges very badly on our defence requirements,” he said.

Though the government has been hinting at its intention to raise the cap to 49 per cent, a proposal by some global defence giants to start a joint venture with Mahindra Defence Systems with 49 per cent stake was denied approval.