India on Friday approved defence big-ticket acquisition projects worth Rs 84,560 crore that included procurement of mid-air refuellers, maritime reconnaissance aircraft, heavy weight-torpedoes, air defence radars and new generation anti-tank mines to bolster the combat prowess of the armed forces.
Cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, almost all the procurement projects will be implemented with a broader framework of the government’s focus on ensuring self-reliance in defence manufacturing, officials said.
“In the true spirit of ‘Aatmanirbharta’, the approvals accorded on February 16 lay special emphasis on procurement of various equipment from Indian vendors,” the defence ministry said.