AUG 22: The Indian Air Force (IAF) today asked the domestic industry to exploit the Rs 2,000-crore spares market. The Air Force currently relies on the foreign market for purchasing 70 per cent of the spares for its fleet of aircraft and helicopters.``Even for tyres, nuts and bolts we have to go back to the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), who charges heavily,'' Air Vice Marshal G.K. Kwatra, Assistant Chief of Air Staff (maintenance planning) at the Air Headquarters, said today. He was speaking at an interactive session between the Air Force and the industry representatives. The session was organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).Aircraft fly regularly, and after a certain number of flying hours the tyres and other movable parts are replaced, he said. So there will be a regular market for the spares manufactured domestically, he added.The IAF, which embarked on a massive indigenisation programme in 1994, has already indigenised one lakh items and is in the process of adding another 8,000 items this year, he said.``IAF's private vendor base has expanded from less than 200 to over 800 during the last several years and they were engaged in 1200 ongoing projects,'' he said. He gave several examples of the industry manufacturing items from ladders to cables, switch gear systems and several other components for over 30 aircraft and helicopters in the inventory of the IAF.The IAF is looking forward to indigenising aircraft general spares, rubberised, metallic, avionics and opto-electronic items, testers, special tools, software development, material handling equipment, overhauling of aircraft components and other items, Kwatra said.He said the IAF had set up a joint directorate at the Air Headquarters for indigenisation, besides suggesting setting up of a corpus fund with the department of Defence Production for facilitating development of advanced capital intensive equipment by the private sector.The industry also put forward its point. Those who have been dealing with the IAF in the past said that they had been facing problems due to red tape and delayed payments. There was an isolated case of a vendor not getting specification for the manufacture of the aircraft canopy.Mohapatra, Joint Secretary, Department of Defence Production and Supplies, said that a special task force had been set up by Defence Minister George Fernandes to cut red tape and the report had been submitted. ``A core group is going over the recommendations. Some of the recommendations have been implemented,'' he said.Kwatra said financial powers had been delegated so that the vendors were paid faster. An incentive for the industry was the possibility of export being thrown open in the near future. ``For that the equipment has to be of high quality and pricing competitive,'' Mohapatra said.
