Article Posted on : - May 09, 2017

NEW DELHI (PTI): The much-awaited strategic partnership model for roping in select private industry for defence production is likely to be finalised by the defence ministry soon.

A final round of discussion with key stakeholders on the policy will take place this week, following which the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) is expected to deliberate on it later this month.

If the policy is cleared by the DAC, which is the defence ministry's highest decision making body for capital acquisition, then it will be sent for consideration of the Cabinet Committee on Security.

Under the strategic partnership model, select private Indian defence firms will be allowed to exclusively make various military platforms for a specified period of time.

A number of issues relating to policy will be discussed with the stakeholders in the coming days, official sources said.

There has been debate over whether to select only one private sector company for each of the segments identified for defence indigenisation or look for other options.

The SPM was proposed by the Dhirendra Singh Committee in July, 2015. It had said that for the 'Make in India' initiative to become wider in the defence sector, the government should adopt a strategic partnership model, whereby a private firm is chosen for the development of a specific identified platform.

Last year, then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had made announcements that the policy on SPM would be unveiled soon.