HAL has responded twice to RMAF RFI-RFA in 2019-21, says Bhatt
Argentina, Australia, Egypt, the US, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia have evinced interest in Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) while Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has offered LCA Tejas twin seater variant to these countries.
Giving this update to Lok Sabha on 5 Aug 2022, Minister of State for Defence, Ajay Bhatt said HAL had also responded to the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) twice in 2019 and 2021.
HAL responded to a Request for Information (RFI) received from RMAF in February 2019 for LCA class aircraft, and subsequently responded in October 2021 to Request for Proposal (RFP) issued against tender released by RMAF for 18 Fighter Lead In Trainer – Light Combat Aircraft (FLIT – LCAs).
The Government, he said, has taken several policy initiatives in the past few years.
These initiatives, inter-alia, include:
According priority to procurement of capital items from domestic sources under Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP)-2020.
The announcement of 18 major defence platforms for industry led design & development in March 2022.
Notification of three ‘Positive Indigenisation Lists’ of total 310 items of Services and two ‘Positive Indigenisation Lists’ of total 2,958 items of the Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), for which there would be an embargo on the import beyond the timelines indicated against them.
Simplification of Industrial licensing process with longer validity period.
Liberalisation of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy allowing 74% FDI under automatic route.
Launch of Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) scheme involving start-ups & Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
Implementation of Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order 2017.
Launch of an indigenisation portal namely SRIJAN to facilitate indigenisation by Indian Industry including MSMEs.
Reforms in Offset policy with thrust on attracting investment and Transfer of Technology for Defence manufacturing by assigning higher multipliers.
Establishment of two Defence Industrial Corridors, one each in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Opening up of Defence Research & Development (R&D) for industry, start-ups and academia with 25% of defence R&D budget earmarked to promote development of defence technology in the country; and
Progressive increase in allocation of Defence Budget of military modernisation for procurement from domestic sources among others. fiinews.com
