Defence procurement has been simplified and is happening speedily but with “due diligence intact”, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday amid a raging row over the Rafale fighter jet deal with France.
Addressing domestic defence equipment manufacturers, Sitharaman said they have to convince the armed forces of the quality, purpose, usefulness and the relevance of their product.
The minister said she cannot compel armed forces to buy equipment from them and it was up to the domestic companies to convince the forces that their product was “good enough”.
“The armed forces who actually use the equipment should be convinced. It is not necessary that the armed forces will have to be bound by me or forced by me or compelled by me to buy it (from an Indian company)… I cannot say that to them. Read More
