India postpones key meet to approve $12-billion defence procurement to Jan. 21

Photo: India’s defence minister Rajnath Singh.

New Delhi: India’s Ministry of Defence has postponed its key meeting to discuss and approve procurement proposals of the armed forces worth $12 billion.

The meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh, was scheduled to happen today, but will now take place on Jan. 21.

But the meet had to be postponed due to unavoidable circumstances, two officials of the defence ministry said, asking not to be named as they are not authorised to speak about the meeting.

On the agenda of the meet were shortlisting of Indian companies and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) for the Rs 45,000-crore ($6.3 billion) project to build six new generation submarines named Project P-75(I). Among the Indian companies in the competition were Larsen & Toubro Limited, Mazagon Docks Shipbuilders Limited, Adani Group and Hindustan Shipyard Limited as a joint venture.

The meeting was also to consider the Rs 22,000-crore ($3.1 billion) project to build 111 Naval Utility Helicopters, apart from the Indian Navy‘s force-level rationalisation, for approval.

The Indian Army too was hoping for its procurement proposal for Self-Propelled Air Defence Gun Missile Systems worth Rs 21,000 crore ($3 billion) to be taken up for approval.

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