News Analysis India

Tag: MM Naravane

  • India-Singapore discuss roadmap to strengthen defence cooperation

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: India and Singapore are working to enhance defence ties and for it a roadmap has been prepared. The Indian Army in a tweet message on Tuesday said, “General MM Naravane called on Brigadier General David Neo, Chief of Singapore Army and discussed the roadmap to further enhance defence cooperation between both Nations.”

    General Naravane also called on Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Defence, MINDEF, Singapore and discussed regional geopolitical developments. The strong and long-standing bilateral defence relationship between both Nations was reaffirmed, the Army added.

    This visit is a good initiative keeping Indian efforts with larger goals feels Commodore Anil Jai Singh (Retd), defence analyst. “The stronger relationship will be mutually beneficial and this is in line with India’s SAGAR Initiative.”

    SAGAR is Security and Growth for all in the Region.

    “India is making efforts in consolidating its position in the Indo-Pacific and the two countries share a stronger relationship,” added Commodore Singh.

    The Singapore Ministry of Defence in a statement on Tuesday said, “The Singapore Army and the Indian Army interact regularly through bilateral exercises, professional exchanges, visits and cross-attendance of courses. These mutually beneficial interactions have deepened the bilateral defence relationship, enhanced mutual understanding and strengthened the cooperation between the two armies.”

    “India is trying to position itself as a defence equipment supplier and it would have been one of the underlining points,” said Maj Gen SB Asthana (Retd).

    India recently signed a contract to supply BrahMos Cruise missile to Philippines and Indonesia and Vietnam have also expressed interest in it.

    Incidentally, India’s homegrown Light Combat Aircraft was showcased by the Indian Air Force in February this year at the Singapore AirShow 2022.

    Indian and Singapore should explore areas to jointly manufacture defence equipment, said Commodore Anil Jai Singh.

    Gen MM Naravane COAS visited the Infantry Gunnery Tactical Simulator IGTS Centre. He witnessed the state-of-the-art simulators, which enable troops to hone their weaponry skills & commanders to improve tactical decision-making abilities.

  • Army alert to all threats: COAS Gen MM Naravane

    By Express News Service

    BENGALURU: Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane on Wednesday said the army was alert and ready to take on any potential threats while remaining committed to maintaining peace and stability along the country’s borders. 

    With the ongoing geo-political status on the northern borders, Gen Naravane said the Indian Army was going through a challenging time, but has increased its efficiency with new weaponry and modern equipment, and added that there was a new intensity in the efforts directed at this over the last three years. He stressed that a modern and professional Indian Army has to be always ready to meet future challenges that come its way. 

    He was speaking after presenting the ‘President’s Colours’, or ‘Nishan’, to four battalions of the Parachute Regiment — 11 Para (SF), 21 Para (SF), 23 Para and 29 Para — on behalf of President Ram Nath Kovind during a Colour Presentation Parade at the Parachute Regiment Training Centre in Bengaluru.  The ‘Nishan’ is considered to be one of the greatest honours for a military unit — a recognition of its exceptional service to the nation.

    He said with a change in the area of battle, the manner in which forces are organised, too, had changed, along with the way weapons are used and how battles are fought. Towards this end, “the army has increased its efficiency with new weaponry and modern equipment. Although this process of change is continuous, there is a new intensity and speed in these efforts in the last two to three years,” he said.

  • Army Chief General MM Naravane speaks to Saudi counterpart on bilateral defence ties

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Chief of Army Staff Gen MM Naravane on Wednesday spoke to Lt Gen Fahd Bin Abdullah Mohammed Al-Mutair, the Commander of Royal Saudi Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia, focusing on ways to deepen bilateral military ties.

    The Army said various aspects of bilateral defence cooperation figured in the talks. “General MM Naravane #COAS had telephonic interaction with Lieutenant General Fahd Bin Abdullah Mohammed Al-Mutair, Commander, Royal Saudi Armed Forces, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and discussed aspects of bilateral Defence Cooperation,” the Army tweeted.

    General MM Naravane #COAS had telephonic interaction with Lieutenant General Fahd Bin Abdullah Mohammed Al-Mutair, Commander, Royal Saudi Land Forces, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and discussed aspects of bilateral Defence Cooperation .#IndiaSaudiArabiaFriendship pic.twitter.com/d17kaLH72S
    — ADG PI – INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) February 9, 2022
    Gen Naravane had held a telephonic conversation with Lt Gen Al-Mutair in December as well.

    Defence and security ties between India and Saudi Arabia have been on an upswing in the last few years. The Chief of Army Staff visited Saudi Arabia in December 2020 in the first-ever visit by a head of the 1.3 million-strong Army to the strategically important Gulf nation.

  • We will have to be prepared to stay at LAC in Eastern Ladakh as long as required: Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane on Wednesday made it clear that while the Chinese have carried out a major enhancement of the troop level and permanent infrastructure build up it remains to be seen whether they will permanently garrison themselves there or they will de-induct in the time to come. And, till then we will have to be prepared to stay.

    Replying to the question of TNIE that whether the Chinese PLA was preparing for permanent deployment Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane addressing the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Annual Press Conference 2022 told, “Amassing of large forces by the Chinese in Eastern Ladakh is the root cause of the situation which developed. Now that they are there and they have made a lot of infrastructure it remains to be seen whether they will permanently garrison themselves there or they will be amenable to some kind of de-induction in times to come.”

    The Army Chief said that the reaching de-indcution will pass through several processes. But, before we reach that level, “we will have to be prepared to stay there as long as it required.”

    As far as the ongoing situation is concerned it will have to follow a few laid out steps. Firstly, it will be dis-engagement, then we can think of a little bit of de-scalation and by that (it means) moving back from being bang on LAC to the areas in depth areas but remaining in the general areas.

    “Once this kind of confidence is built up then we can think of de-induction wherein the troops can go in their permanent garrison.” 

    But, it has to be done mutually, the chief pointed out.

    Talking about the overall border situation Naravane said,the situation that existed last January, “I think we can say, there have been positive developments, both along our Northern and Western Borders in the last one year.”

    The 14th round of talks between the Indian and Chinese Corps Commanders was underway as the Chief was briefing the media.

    “Good thing that talks are going on, it shows that we can resolve our differences through dialogue. Each time we talk we narrow down to the issues, that is why this mechanism is important,” Chief brought out.

    To expect every round of talks to have an outcome is also quite unreasonable, number of rounds will be required to deal with the situation, Chief clarified, “We are hopeful that we will be able to resolve the issue of PP 15 (Hot Springs), the one which is pending as of now. Once that is done, we will go to other issues that predate the current standoff.”

    The other issues include the Depsang and Demchok standoffs.

    But while there has been partial disengagement, the Chief made it clear that “the threat has by no means reduced.”

    Force levels, in areas where dis-engagement is yet to take place, have been adequately enhanced with around 60,000 troops from both sides deployed in Eastern Ladakh and there has been few positives of the surprise standoff which began in May 2020.

    Keeping the incumbent situation, “Up-gradation and development of infrastructure, along the Northern Borders, is being carried out in a holistic, and comprehensive manner, including roads & tunnels, for all weather connectivity, Strategic Railway Lines, additional bridges across the Brahmaputra, up-gradation of bridges on critical, Indo-China Border Roads, and storage for supplies, fuel and ammunition. Major efforts have also been undertaken to identify dual use infrastructure,” said Army Chief.

    Talking about the Line of Control, “after a heightened situation for a prolonged period, the DGMOs Understanding, in February last year, was aimed at achieving mutually beneficial, and sustainable peace, along the LC. Resultantly, the situation has witnessed marked improvement.”

    Indian Army has resolved to show ‘Zero Tolerance’ to terror, and commit ourselves to extract dire costs, should that be forced upon us. There has been, “increase in concentration of terrorists in launch pads, across the LC and repeated infiltration attempts, once again expose their nefarious intents.”

    Elaborating on the situation in the North-Eastern General Naravane said “it remained under control”.

    Which has led to a graduated de-induction, of around two divisions from the counter terrorist duty to their primary duties.

    Chief, said that the crisis on the Northern Borders also had a silver lining. “We have used this crisis as an opportunity to fast-track infrastructure development, undertake doctrinal reviews and make-up operational voids, through Emergency and Fast Track Procurements.”

  • Army Chief Gen Naravane holds talks with his Nepalese counterpart

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Army Chief Gen MM Naravane on Tuesday held extensive talks with his Nepalese counterpart Gen Prabhu Ram Sharma, focusing on ways to expand bilateral military cooperation in the backdrop of evolving security scenario in the region.

    Gen Sharma’s four-day visit to India comes amid increasing concerns over the possible impact of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan on the regional security scenario.

    Officials said Gen Naravane and Gen Sharma exchanged views on further strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries besides deliberating on the regional security scenario.

    Ahead of the talks, the Nepalese Army Chief laid a wreath at the National War Memorial.

    He was also given a Guard of Honour at the South Block lawns.

    Gen Sharma also separately met Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari with a broad focus on further boosting bilateral defence cooperation, the officials said.

    The Indian Air Force tweeted that issues of mutual interest and ways to enhance avenues for bilateral defence cooperation were discussed by the two chiefs.

    In continuation of an age-old tradition that started in 1950, Gen Sharma is set to be conferred with the honorary rank of ‘General of the Indian Army’.

    Nepal conferred the honorary rank of ‘General of Nepal Army’ to Gen Naravane during his visit to Kathmandu in November last year.

    Nepal is important for India in the context of its overall strategic interests in the region, and leaders of the two countries have often noted the age-old “Roti Beti” relationship.

    Land-locked Nepal relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services.

    Nepal’s access to the sea is through India, and it imports a predominant proportion of its requirements from and through India.

  • Defence capability development is national need due to border issues: Army chief General MM Naravane

    By PTI

    GANDHINAGAR: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General MM Naravane on Tuesday said capability development of the armed forces remains a national imperative given the country’s active and disputed borders with two neighbours and observed that disruptive technologies are fast transforming the character of the modern world.

    Addressing the event of the signing of MoUs between Gandhinagar-based Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) and the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-Informatics (BISAG-N) virtually, General Naravane said that academic vigour needs to be enriched with operational understanding to meet the challenges of modern warfare.

    The event was held at the RRU campus in Gandhinagar. “Disruptive technologies are transforming the character of the modern world, faster than ever before. We have seen the decisive impact of these technologies in recent conflicts around the world. Given our active and disputed borders in the north and the east with our two neighbours, capability development of Armed Forces remains a national imperative,” General Naravane said.

    Rashtriya Raksha University is a national security educational university located in Gandhinagar.

    Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics is a state-level agency by the government of Gujarat to facilitate to provide services and solutions in implementing map-based Geospatial Information Systems.

    The Army chief further said that dependence on niche technologies with other countries creates “significant vulnerabilities especially in times of conflict”, and collaboration of the Indian Army with BISAG-N -will go a long way to address these challenges through an “in-house” solution.

    The COAS said the collaboration of the Indian Army with BISAG-N and RRU aligns with the government’s vision of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” (self-reliant India) and will pave the way for a greater “civil-military fusion” in defence capability development.

    The areas of collaboration between the two (civil and military) are in the fields of emerging technology, development of GIS and IT-based software systems, training content and telecasting of audio-visual contents, the Army chief said.

    He said that professional military education has always been a critical part of the training curriculum of a military professional, and it continues to play a pivotal role in the evaluation of military officers and soldiers. “Academic vigour needs to be enriched with operational understanding to meet the challenges of modern warfare,” General Naravane said.

    He said MoUs signed by the Army Training Command (ARTRAC) with RRU and BISAG-N “will synergise the expertise and potential of both the institutions”. General Naravane said this collaboration will offer the Army a “customised and tailormade training as well as a learning solution”.

    The event was presided over by Lt Gen Raj Shukla, GOC-in-C of ARTRAC. RRU vice-chancellor Bimal Patel and BISAG-C Director-General TP Singh exchanged the MoUs.

  • Pakistan’s fishing in troubled waters of Afghanistan: Army Chief General MM Naravane

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s western front continues to remain unstable and it fishing in troubled waters of Afghanistan is going to come and bite it in the future, Army Chief General MM Naravane said on Thursday.

    Without naming Pakistan, he said the infiltration bids and terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir have increased during the last two and half months and these “activities” are being sponsored by “our western neighbour”.

    When asked at a defence conclave if Pakistan can now concentrate more of its assets towards India as it sees its western front with Afghanistan under its control, Naravane replied: “I think it is too early to draw that conclusion.”

    “I think their western front is equally if not more unstable. I think it is going to come and bite them, whatever they have been fishing in the troubled waters. It is going to bite them and they will realise how it hurts,” he said.

    There has been increasing concern in the Indian security establishment following the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul on August 15.

    The concern is over the possibility of terror spillover from Afghanistan into Jammu and Kashmir through Pakistan and rise in terrorist activities, particularly by groups such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed following the Taliban wresting power in Kabul.

    Naravane on October 9 had not ruled out the possibility of Afghan-origin foreign terrorists attempting to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir once the situation stabilises in Afghanistan and had cited similar instances when the Taliban was in power in Kabul over two decades ago.

    Naravane said on Thursday that there has been an increase in Pakistan-backed infiltration and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir during the last 2-2.5 months.

    Five army personnel were killed in an attack by terrorists in Surankote in Poonch district on October 11, while four soldiers laid down their lives in a gunfight with the ultras in Mendhar last Thursday.

    Earlier this week, Naravane visited the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, where a massive operation to track down terrorists hiding in forest areas of Mendhar, Surankote and Thanamandi has been going on since October 11.

    The army chief explained the Jammu and Kashmir situation and said “from about the third week of February, when we had the ceasefire understanding between the DGMOs, there was the lull on the Line of Control (LoC).”

    In fact, there has been no ceasefire violation from February till the end of June and the beginning of July, he mentioned.

    “During this period, not only were there no ceasefire violations, but even the other trans-LoC activities (infiltration, etc) that normally takes place…also saw a downturn,” Naravane stated.

    From the end of June and the beginning of July, there has definitely been an increase in these activities, the army chief mentioned.

    “A number of infiltration bids have been made. We have been able to foil a few of them. But definitely, there has been an increase in the activities in the last two-two and a half months or so,” he said.

    However, the Indian Army has its plan in place as it has a strong counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency grid that is reviewed from time to time, he mentioned.

    “These activities will continue but there is no denying the fact that it is being sponsored by our western neighbour and without that support, this terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir could not be flourishing. They would not be able to carry out these activities unless they have this state backing,” he said.

  • We shouldn’t expect favourable outcome in every round of border talks with China: Army Chief

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India should not expect favourable outcome in every round of talks being held with China to settle border issues and “points of divergence” with the neighbouring country will be resolved as long as both the nations keep talking, Army Chief General MM Naravane said on Thursday.

    “There were 4-5 points of friction (between India and China during the border talks) and we have resolved all but one. I am sure in another couple of rounds — I can’t give a definitive figure whether one more or two more — we will be able to resolve these issues also as we proceed,” Gen Naravane said.

    Earlier this month, India and China failed to make any headway in resolving the 17-month standoff in the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh during the 13th round of military talks between the two countries.

    The Indian Army had on October 11 stated the “constructive suggestions” made by it at the 13th round of military talks were neither agreeable to the Chinese side nor Beijing could provide any “forward-looking” proposals.

    In an interaction at a defence conclave here, the Army Chief said that the situation at the eastern Ladakh border with China is better and more stable now from what existed almost a year ago.

    India and China have had a number of rounds of talks and as a result of those talks, we have been able to achieve a fair amount of disengagement, he added.

    “What I would like to put across is that we should not expect a favourable outcome in every round of talks. There are always going to be some points of convergence, some differences,” he said.

    “As long as we keep talking, we will be able to resolve those points of divergence and come closer and closer together and by and by resolve all the issues that are there,” the Army Chief said.

    The current border standoff between the Indian and Chinese armies erupted in May last year following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area.

    Both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry.

    Gen Naravane said the talks and the interlocutions with China are taking place at the political plane, at the diplomatic level and at the military level.

    “So once all of this is put together and I am sure we will be able to come up with a satisfactory resolution. And when I say satisfactory, it has to be satisfactory for both the sides and I am confident that will happen sooner or later,” he said.

    He asserted that the Indian Army was not for a moment letting its guard down or imagining that things can not worsen in the future.

    “It is always our hope that all the differences can be resolved through dialogues and discussions but if that is not there and if the situation is forced upon us, then we are always ready to man our borders and protect our territorial integrity and sovereignty and that is a year-round affair,” he said.

    “It is not as if it is only during the summer months…we are 24×7 always ready to take on whatever is thrown at us,” he added.

    As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, India and China completed the disengagement process in the Gogra area in August and in the north and south banks of the Pangong lake in February.

    As far as the last year or so is concerned, the two Cs — China and COVID-19 — did take up most of the Indian Army’s time, the Army Chief said.

    “Because of the challenges that were happening on the eastern Ladakh, we did have to mobilise a large number of forces in a very short time span but we were able to achieve that once again because of very good synergy between services,” he said.

    He also thanked the Indian Air Force because of whom the Indian Army were able to mobilise forces in a short span to eastern Ladakh.

    “I think it is the speed of our mobilisation and the speed with which we could induct forces over such difficult terrain and such difficult climatic conditions…that caught our adversary little bit by surprise and we were able to stabilise the situation,” he said.

  • China’s continuous build-up matter of concern: Army Chief Staff Gen MM Naravane

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The military build-up by China in the eastern Ladakh region and new infrastructure development to sustain the large-scale deployment are matters of concern and India has been keeping a close watch on all the activities by the Chinese PLA, Chief of Army Staff Gen MM Naravane said on Saturday.

    He said if the Chinese military maintains the deployment through the second winter, it may lead to an LoC-like situation (Line of Control) though not an active LoC as is there on the western front with Pakistan The Chief of Army Staff said if the Chinese military continues with its deployment, the Indian Army too will maintain its presence on its side which is “as good as what the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) has done”.

    Indian and Chinese militaries have been on a standoff in several areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh for nearly 17 months though both sides disengaged from a number of friction points this year following a series of talks.

    “Yes, it is a matter of concern that the large-scale build-up has occurred and continues to be in place, and to sustain that kind of a build-up, there has been an equal amount of infrastructure development on the Chinese side,” Gen Naravane said at the Indian Today conclave.

    “So, it means that they (PLA) are there to stay. We are keeping a close watch on all these developments, but if they are there to stay, we are there to stay too,” he said. Gen Naravane said the build-up and the infrastructure development on the Indian side are as good as what PLA has done.

    “But what this would, especially if they continue to stay there through the second winter, definitely mean that we will be in a kind of LC (Line of Control) situation though not an active LC as is there on the western front. But definitely, we will have to keep a close eye on all the troop build-up and deployments to see that they do not get into any misadventure once again,” he said.

    To a question, Gen Naravane said it is difficult to understand why China triggered the standoff when the world was reeling under the COVID-19 pandemic and when that country had certain issues on its eastern seaboard.

    “While all that is going on, to sort of open up one more front is very difficult to understand or fathom. But whatever it might have been, I do not think they have been able to achieve any of those because of the rapid response done by the Indian armed forces,” he said.

    Asked to comment on the overall situation in eastern Ladakh, Gen Naravane referred to a recent statement by a spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs and said he had clearly mentioned that whatever has happened on the Northern border is because of the massive build-up by the Chinese side and the non-adherence to various protocols. “So that is very clear as to what was the trigger for all that which has happened,” Gen Naravane said.

    The Army Chief said following the standoff in eastern Ladakh, Indian Army realised that it needs to do more in the area of ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance). “So that has been the thurst of our modernisation over the last one year. Similarly, other weapons and equipment that we thought we need for future, those have got our attention also,” he said.

    The border standoff between the Indian and the Chinese militaries erupted on May 5 last year in eastern Ladakh following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area. Both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry.

    As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in the Gogra area in August. In February, the two sides completed the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the north and south banks of the Pangong lake in line with an agreement on disengagement.

    Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the LAC in the sensitive sector.

  • Need to shed archaic norms, processes for best practices: Army Chief on military procurement

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Army Chief Gen MM Naravane on Thursday strongly called for “ruthlessly” shedding norms and archaic rules to speed up military modernisation and said the colonial era L1 concept under which contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder has lost its relevance.

    He also mentioned the “big challenges” facing the Army in avoiding technological obsolescence and said that “the danger that our long-drawn procurement processes and bureaucratic speed-breakers would prevent us from acquiring cutting edge technology is a real one”.

    In an address at the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Gen Naravane, referring to the L1 concept, wondered why price should dictate the choices of the armed forces when the money is destined to be pumped back into the domestic economy as the focus has been on procuring indigenously-developed military hardware.

    “In the defence sector, there is a thrust towards ease of doing business. The industry too needs to proactively push for reforms. Processes that are out of sync with contemporary times and our future vision must be ruthlessly shed for modern best practices,” he said.

    “The L1 system is one such legacy of the colonial era that has lost its relevance in a system that is pushing for indigenisation. After all, why should merely price dictate our choice, when the money is destined to be pumped back into the domestic economy,” he said.

    Gen Naravane said that much work has been done in bringing about systemic changes but archaic rules and processes still exist, defying logic and are at variance to modern best practices.

    “With the cycle of new and disruptive technologies getting shorter and faster, avoiding technological obsolescence remains a big challenge. The danger that our long drawn procurement processes and bureaucratic speed-breakers would prevent us from acquiring cutting edge technology is a real one,” he said.

    “Much work has been done in bringing about systemic changes with the aim of ease of doing business. This however remains a work in progress. There are still archaic rules and processes that defy logic and are at variance to modern best practices. This needs to be addressed,” he added.

    The Chief of Army Staff cited the example of Israel to emphasise how even small countries with huge challenges and limited resources have been able to achieve so much by riding on a vibrant and responsive defence ecosystem.

    “Israel is an apt example. As contracts are signed with local businesses, the investment in Defence is ploughed back into the economy,” he said.

    Gen Naravane said technology is driving the “revolution in war-fighting” and that the Indian MSMEs need to reinvent and engage themselves in the niche domains and build capabilities to offer innovative solutions.

    The Army Chief said the national security is not the preserve of the armed forces alone and it is a “whole of government effort”.

    “Equally true it is that wars are fought by nations and not by only by the armies. The government has taken a number of initiatives to create a conducive environment and a supportive ecosystem to encourage the defence industry to grow and expand,” he said.

    He also mentioned the “extremely positive results” of the government granting emergency powers to the armed forces for critical procurement.

    The emergency powers were granted in June last year till March and it was subsequently extended till August.

    Gen Naravane said 113 contracts for revenue procurement of operationally critical ammunition, armament, vehicles, spares and special mountaineering equipment for almost Rs 9000 crore were concluded while another lot of 68 contracts for capital procurement were sealed for about Rs 6,500 crore.

    “During the conclusion of these contracts, savings of about Rs 1700 crore was accrued to the state due to the diligence and financial prudence of the Emergency Empowered Committee at the service headquarters level,” he said.

    “The contracts were signed within a year with another year for the deliveries to commence. The system has been a win-win combination for the industry and the user,” he added.

    Gen Naravane asserted that the Indian Army is fully committed to promoting the Indian defence industry and that contracts worth over Rs 16,000 crore were placed on it in recent months .