LEVEL-PLAYING FIELD.Soon Some changes that suit industry’s requirement are likely, says official
Raipur.23.04.2025 The army has suggested amendments to the Defense Procurement Manual (DPM), under the review of the Ministry of Defense since 2021, to correct its tilt towards defense public sector undertakings (PSUs) and ensure a level playing field for private industry for true realization of aatmanirbharta in the military domain.
It also recommended to bring in the concept of “apportionment “in certain kinds of tendering so that bidders, offering the same quality product, too get work if the numbers are high and LI bidder has limited capability said Lt Gen Amardeep Singh Aujila,Master General Sustenance, which looks after the Army’s revenue procurement, at an PHD Chambers of commerce and Industry (PHDCCI)event on Monday. Addressing PHDCCI’s industry interactive session on “Revenue Requirements of Indian Army”Lt Gen Aujla said,The DPM has to be revisted.We have been at it for the last two years. We are pushing policy makers to amend this DPM so that it comes out faster.” The MGS said the DPM’s paragraph 2.4.8 which deals with procurement from ordnance factories and DPSU,restricts the force not to move away from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
“For us 80 percent of our goods are supplied by the DPSUs”he said of the Army’s revenue procurement. The annual spending of the MGS branch is to the tune of Rs 25,000 crore to 30,000 crore,the Lt Gen stated.
“We want a level playing field. We want contenders. We want to move away. To participative and competitive tendering. While the attempts are on, the systems are such that it take time. So we are in that period of transition. But very soon you people should see some kind of change, some kind of environment that suits your requirements”.Lt Gen Aujla stated,bringing cheer to industry representatives at the session.
In that context, he also observed that is has to be a user driven market and not a vendor driven market. That how we look at things, he observed.
