Furious at defence acquisition policy, SwadeshiJagranManch writes to PM Modi

NEW DELHI: The definition of 'Indian vendor' in context of the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 has created a major row with an influential RSS-linked body that earlier urged the Indian government to withdraw from the RCEP, now claiming that the definition "dilutes" the government's very idea of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' in the defence sector.

The crux of the anger is a webinar held on August 27 where the Union Secretary for Defence Production allegedly clarified during a Q&A session, that any foreign company registered in India is an "Indian vendor".

Following this, the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, an influential RSS-linked body that has often forced the Narendra Modi government to backtrack on many initiatives, shot off a letter to the Prime Minister escalating the matter. The body claimed that this is "destined to take away the gains for domestic defence industry from the previous policy initiatives like 'Buy IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured)' and banning of 101 items from imports".

SJM national co-convener Ashwani Mahajan explained to Modi, that "Swadeshi Jagran Manch is of the considered opinion that 'Indian vendor' should only mean an entity in which majority ownership and control is retained by Indian Resident Citizens. Diluting the definition of 'Indian vendor' will be a deadly blow to the Indian defence industry.

"It would deal a severe blow to the existence of the domestic defence industry, both big and small which has developed indigenously, as foreign companies would start getting same treatment, which domestic industry gets especially under Buy Indian (IDDM) and 'Buy Indian' categories where special preferences are given to Indian vendors." (IANS)

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