Recently Aatre Panel gave a report on choosing Strategic Partners. I thought that we can discuss the report and also speculate on who will be best placed to be selected as a Strategic Partner.
http://armingindia.com/Aatre%20Panel%20 ... ystems.htm
Aatre Panel: Only 1 'Strategic Partner' For Each Category Of Military Systems
By Arming India Correspondent
NEW DELHI, JAN.18, 2016: In a bid to ensure Indian armed forces get the best indigenous equipment and to enable building of domestic arms manufacturing capabilities, a Task Force headed by former Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief Dr. V. K. Aatre has recommended the selection of "only one" Strategic Partner from the private sector for manufacturing each of the high-end military systems.
The Aatra-led Task Force has taken off on the recommendation made by the Committee of Experts headed by former Home Secretary Dhirendra Singh on selecting 'Strategic Partners' from the private sector for some categories of defense manufacturing, and has recommended that the categories be further divided into two groups - one for 'system of systems' and another for other segments of military products.
The Defense Ministry is yet to take a final decision on the recommendations, which are currently being deliberated upon by officials.
The Aatre panel, according to those having knowledge of the details, has recommended that the first set of products should include major whole systems such as aircraft; helicopters; aero-engines; submarines; warships; artillery guns; and armored vehicles such as infantry combat vehicles and battle tanks. The government may choose to further create sub-categories within these segments and choose a Strategic Partner for each of them.
However, the Task Force is learnt to have recommended that "only one Strategic Partner" should be selected per segment for major systems.
This is likely to keep out all other companies, except for the selected Strategic Partner, from manufacturing one particular 'system of systems', and that's where there may be resentment from companies that may lose out in the race, but still have some manufacturing capability already.
The argument in favour of having just one Strategic Partner is to ensure military manufacturing capabilities and strengths in the private sector, built over the last 15 years, are not wasted and are put to good use for ensuring Indian armed forces are well armed.
However, the Task Force recognized that the second set of products were more bulk-produced products, such as ammunition, and it is learnt to have recommended that more than one Strategic Partner for each of the segments should be selected. That would ensure that there is capability to mass produce these products, whenever necessary.
http://ajaishukla.blogspot.in/2016/01/r ... firms.html
The Task Force was set up after a MoD expert committee, under Dhirendra Singh, recommended that one be constituted to lay down criteria for selecting one private “strategic partner” for each of six “strategic segments”. These were: aircraft/helicopters, warships/submarines, armoured vehicles, missiles, command & control systems, and critical materials.
However, the Task Force has rearranged these into two groups. Group I has seven segments that include aircraft; helicopters; aero engines; submarines; warships; guns and artillery; and armoured vehicles. The Task Force recommends that just one strategic partner be chosen for each segment.
For the three segments in Group II --- metallic material and alloys; non-metallic materials; and ammunition, including smart munitions --- the Task Force recommends two strategic partners for each.
As there is limitation on One strategic Partner being choosen for each category therefore TATAs may be at a loss. I think that restriction on one partern in each category is not practical as there are very few groups in India in serious high tech manufacturing, most of the grouips are in money making through process industries. So my list:-
Group – I
Helicopters – TATAs
Aircraft - Tatas (who else? Mukesh Ambani?)
submarines; L&T
aero engines; L&T (who else in Pvt sector can do turbines as an ancillary to main power business like GE, something like BHEL? But even BHEL is screw driver company)
warships; Anil Ambani through Pipav
guns and artillery; Bharat Forge
and armoured vehicles – Mahindras, (as TATAs cannot have everything, thought TATAs would again make sense here)
Group- II
metallic material and alloys; (TATAs, HINDALCO, Vedanta
non-metallic materials; Mukesh Ambani Group,
ammunition, including smart munitions (TATAs, Bharat Forge, Punj Lloyd, Godrej)
Things that were considered earlier but are now missing inlatest reports are:-
Missiles – Tatas, Godrej
command & control systems, - L&T, Tatas, Godrej
and as per me some important categories that are still missing are:-
Thermal imagers, NVGs, Sights- Tatas
Radars – Astra, Tatas
MEMS, Chips, RLG, FOGS etc- TATAs
Satelites – Godrej, TATAs
Space Vehicles- Tatas, Godrej
Small arms – Godrej, Punj Lloyd, Bharat Forge
Piston Engines – Kirloskars, Force, Mahindras
Vehicles, Cranes – Lot of companies
BPJs- Lot of companies
Clothing, tents, personal equipment – Lot companies
