The Indian Army is working towards “accelerated procurement programme” that seeks to cut down on long acquisition process for faster absorption of emerging technology which has thin shelf life, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi said on Tuesday.
The move is borne out of swift modernisation benefit Indian Army availed following the introduction of Emergency Procurement (EP) system post-Uri terror attack in 2016 to address critical operational deficiencies, especially at the northern borders with China.
Close to ₹18,000 crore worth projects were signed from 2016 to 2023 through the EP route and the Army managed to save time and about ₹2,050 crore by way of economic intelligence used during procurement processing, businessline reported last October.
Speaking at the fire side chat at the curtain raiser for upcoming second edition of Chanakya Dialogue 2024, General Dwivedi stated that the Army has been pushing for 85 percent indigenisation in whatever procurement the force does, building on the theme; “swadeshi karan se sashakti karan” (from self-reliance to empowerment).
“We are going for emergency procurement (EP). You are aware that by EP-IV we had 100 per cent indigenised procurement. We are also looking at accelerated procurement programme.....working on that. And the best part of it is, the Defence Secretary and the complete set in the Ministry of Defence is also in agreement that we need to look into it. So, got approval for that also,” General Dwivedi, who took over as Army Chief about three months ago, told a gathering of senior officers from tri-services and a few representatives of global military.
He also spoke of the understanding in the defence establishment, accruing from ongoing global conflict, that to sustain long drawn wars, India will have to have its own weapon systems as well as ammunitions.
“..We need to move fast. And therefore, the standard acquisition procedure and technology acquisition need to decouple and we are working towards that,” the General revealed.
China border “sensitive”
On a query on the status of border talks with China, General Dwivedi stated that the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh is “stable but not normal” and remains “sensitive”, indicating the military is more circumspect than the diplomats of the two countries who recently stated of some “progress” made on disengagement of deployed troops from both the sides.
“The positive signalling is coming from the democratic side. But what we have to understand, the diplomatic side gives you the options and possibilities. But when it comes to the execution on ground, then it relates to the ground per se. It is dependent on the military commanders on both sides to take the call. So what’s the situation today? It’s stable, but it’s not normal and it’s sensitive,” the Army chief said in his candid conversation on a variety of topics.
The “loss of trust is the biggest casualty,” Dwivedi said on the relations between the two Asian giants. He, however, insisted on the government position that “we are wanting that the situation, what was there in April 2020 (before Galwan face off), that should be restored back”.
The Chief of the Army Staff also referred to unresolved disputes at friction points in Depsang and Demchok and said all the pending issues are on the table. The next Commander-level talk is expected soon to take forward disengagement plans on the ground.
“Whatever one can imagine is on the table along the northern front and that includes Depsang and Demchok,” he said.
He also said that China is carrying out “artificial immigration” and “settlements” along the LAC with India.