It is easier for a tank to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for India’s defence ministry to buy or manufacture a weapon. An internal ministry study reportedly describes a procurement process that is so slow that, in the past three years, less than 10% of proposed arms deals have met their timelines. Every government has touted its intention to reduce India’s dependence on arms imports. There has been an unwillingness to drastically reform the state-owned defence firms which largely assemble imported kits or make substandard weapons. Unsurprisingly, major arms buys have become sudden, government to government deals driven by desperation rather than any real thought.

Source: Hindustan Times February 28, 2018 07:07 UTC