Not a single defence project completed on time: IAF Chief flags systemic delays

Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh on Friday pointed to systemic delays in defence projects. “Not a single project that I can think of has been completed on time,” he said, adding that even while signing contracts, the IAF anticipated delays and still proceeded with signing contracts.

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Speaking at the CII Annual Business Summit, he called for greater emphasis on indigenous design and development, stressing the need for industry to allocate a portion of revenue to R&D, drawing inspiration from the Sikh principle of “dasvandh” (donating 10 per cent of earnings).

“In Punjabi culture, there’s the concept of ‘dasvandh’, giving 10 per cent of earnings back to society. Something similar should apply here. Every industry should earmark a portion of revenue for R&D,” he said.

He suggested the need for domestic design and development, followed by mass production. “We need to start designing in India and when it comes to producing in numbers, the capacity has to come in,” he added.

The IAF Chief raised concerns over brain drain, stating, “We are not getting the best people for the job. They’re going abroad to work. We need to retain them with good pay, incentives, work environment and may be some recognition.”  He pushed for urgent action, suggesting “quick Make in India programmes” to accelerate progress.

Defence Secretary Raj Kumar Singh, speaking at the same event, said the Indian industry could secure better prospects in military equipment manufacturing by investing in research and development. He cautioned that there was “no get-rich-quick option” in this sector.

He called for the need for long-term commitment, stating that companies lacking engineering expertise, manpower or willingness to invest in R&D should not enter defence production.

“Fly-by-night operators will not be welcome," Singh asserted, assuring that the Ministry of Defence would support private industry just as it had backed public sector enterprises. He pledged to “bury the private sector in orders” while urging streamlined procurement processes and ease of doing business in defence.

The Defence Secretary said the defence modernisation budget was fully utilised in the last fiscal, breaking a long-standing pattern of underspending caused by slow procurement decisions. The pace of modernisation was expected to pick up, he said.

Though the defence expenditure had fallen to 1.9 per cent of the GDP, Singh said it remained sufficient to meet current modernisation goals. He reiterated that the government’s long-term defence vision was rooted in atmanirbharta (self-reliance.