Air Chief Marshal expresses concern over delays in delivery of defence projects

Chief Air Marshal A.P. Singh, CAS addresses the CII Annual General Meeting and Business Summit 2025, New Delhi. May 29, 2025. | Photo Credit: PTI

Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), on Thursday (May 29, 2025) expressed concern over delays in the delivery of defence projects. He urged private industry to rise to the occasion, develop world-class products, and contribute alongside other stakeholders to “making India a great nation”.

“Timeline is a big issue... not a single project that I can think of has been completed on time. This is something we have to look at. Why should we promise something which cannot be achieved? While signing the contract itself, sometimes we are sure that it is not going to come up, but we just sign the contract,” said the Air Chief at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Annual Business Summit 2025.

Stating that it was a great opportunity for Indian private industry with the opening up of the defence sector, he said firms should rise to the occasion and join hands to make world-class military equipment, even if the profit is not up to their expectation.

He called upon stakeholders to ensure that they did their best on their part as links in the bigger chain at the national level to plug any shortcomings. “Building trust is not required with the armed forces, but retaining that trust depends on a lot of actions... we have to keep reinforcing that trust,” he said.

Regarding the “professionally executed” Operation Sindoor, the Air Chief described it as a national victory.

He said that with the changing character of war and the introduction of new technologies, there was a need to realign the approach, which was already being done. “I am sure, since we have been able to come up to the challenge till now, in future also we will be able to deliver the goods as a nation,” he said.

Air Chief Marshal Singh stated that the government’s decision to involve private industry in the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project was a “big step,” which showed the kind of confidence the nation had in the private sector.

According to him, Operation Sindoor showed the importance of having effective air power. “As far as air power is concerned, we need to make sure that we have the capability plus the capacity. We cannot just talk about producing in India; we need to start designing and developing in India also. When it comes to producing in numbers, the capacity aspect comes in. We need to have this trust between the forces and the industry continued, we need to have communication continued, we need to be open... and forthright with each other, so that this relationship does not break down anywhere,” said the Air Chief.

He noted that there were times in the past when doubts were raised about Indian industry, but over the last decade, this has changed substantially. “The current situation in the world has made us realise that self-reliance is the only solution, but we have to be now-ready to be future-ready, that is the concern... what is required today is required today, so we need to quickly get our acts together, maybe get into some quick ‘Make In India’ programmes, so that we can achieve that now-ready part of it,” he said.

Suggesting a possible mechanism for private players to increase their involvement in research and development (R&D) in the defence sector, he said initiatives also need to be taken to retain bright talent.

Other participants of the ICC Business Summit had a more positive outlook on the state of Indian defence industry. Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, said that India was realising its rich maritime potential, with apex-level decisions and policies reflecting this broader approach. Addressing larger strategic goals, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh highlighted the government’s ongoing reforms aimed at improving the defence manufacturing ecosystem.

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief Dr. Samir V. Kamat emphasised the role of private industry in driving indigenous research and development. “Operation Sindoor demonstrated the vital role of technology in future warfare. While manufacturing remains important, the focus must also be on designing and developing our own systems. We invite private industries to invest in R&D. DRDO will partner and collaborate closely to make India a global leader in defence innovation,” he said.

Published - May 29, 2025 09:38 pm IST