Defence Ministry Announces To Reduce Procurement Timelines A Day After IAF Chief Flagged Delays

Last Updated:May 30, 2025, 23:40 IST

The Defence Ministry's statement came a day after Air Force Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh raised concerns over delays in major defence procurement projects. 

Major reforms in defence procurement are underway, the MoD said.

The Defence Ministry on Friday said that it has slashed the defence procurement timelines by 69 weeks and is transitioning from cost-plus to competitive pricing models in a bid to to accelerate modernisation and ensure equitable treatment for both public and private sector participants.

“Major reforms in defence procurement are underway. The Ministry of Defence has slashed timelines by 69 weeks and is shifting from cost-plus models to competitive pricing. These steps are designed to accelerate modernisation and bring public & private sectors on equal footing," the ministry said in a post on X.

The Defence Ministry’s statement came a day after Air Force Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh raised concerns over delays in major defence procurement projects.

While addressing the CII Annual Business Summit 2025, the Air Marshal emphasised on the need to expedite the defence procurement process and said that the industry should not make promises if it cannot deliver on time.

“So, once a timeline is given, not a single project that I can think of has been completed on time. So this is something we must look at," the Air Force chief said, adding, “Why should we promise something which cannot be achieved?" he had said.

He further added that while signing the contract itself, the forces are sometimes sure that it is not going to come up on time, but still contracts are signed. “Sometimes we know it’s unachievable but sign the contract anyway. We need to be realistic and transparent from the start," he added.

The Air Force Chief had further pushed for faster indigenisation and domestic capability under the government’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative. “We need both capability and capacity. We can’t just produce in India – we must design and develop here too. To produce at scale, we need capacity. So, trust and communication between the forces and industry must continue. We need to be open and forthright to ensure the relationship stays strong," he added.

Earlier in February, he had expressed dissatisfaction over the delayed delivery of Tejas Mk1A fighter jets by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.

“I was promised that when I come here in February, 11 Tejas Mk1As would be ready. And not a single one is ready. We all have worked there (in HAL). But I find that HAL is just not in mission mode," he had said.

Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He previously worked with Hindustan Times Digital (HTDS) and NDTV. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India ...Read More

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He previously worked with Hindustan Times Digital (HTDS) and NDTV. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India ...

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