Additional agreements have also been cleared by the council.
New Delhi:
In a big boost for the military as well as defence production in India, the Defence Acquisition Council has cleared the procurement of 97 additional Tejas aircraft and 156 Prachand attack helicopters. Both aircraft are indigenously developed and the value of these deals is around Rs. 1.1 lakh crore.
The Tejas Mark 1-A fighters are being acquired for the Indian Air Force and the choppers for the Air Force and the Army. The Council has also cleared additional deals and the total value is estimated to be around Rs 2 lakh crore.
If this happens, it will be the largest order book that indigenous manufacturers have received in India’s history. What has been granted now, however, is an Acceptance of Necessity and contract negotiations will take place with manufacturers after that. This will take time but the period may be far shorter than it would have been if foreign manufacturers were involved.