Gunning for change

Most Indian institutions are rapidly adapting to economic expansion, technological change and globalisation. The Indian defence establishment, however, stands haughtily apart from reform. There is some good news for a change, though. The defence ministry this week is organising the first ever international conference in India to debate the full range of issues relating to financing a sector that will soon spend 1,00,000 crores a year. As our two columnists on the op-ed page point out, this was long overdue. From a system that has revelled in secrecy, demanded patriotic loyalty from citizens without offering any accountability to tax payers, open discussion and oversight are good beginnings.

That the defence ministry8217;s reforms, proposed over the last two years on weapons acquisition, are not enough is proved most spectacularly by the Defence Research and Development Organisation DRDO. As our investigative series on DRDO has shown and will show, this holy cow of the Indian state has ambled along with little concern about delivery schedules and economics. DRDO has become a big part of the challenge of managing India8217;s defence modernisation. What every officer in the armed services would say in sotto voce for years 8211; DRDO can8217;t deliver on its promises to manufacture modern weapons systems 8211; now comes through loud and clear. DRDO8217;s problems are structural, bigger than what is suggested by episodic delays.

Rajiv Gandhi had two decades ago lavished DRDO with resources and set ambitious goals. The organisation has now become a drag on the national defence system. Instead of a pragmatic strategy to enhance national capabilities in research and development through international collaboration, the DRDO has tried to reinvent the wheel in the name of self-reliance. At the same time, it has packaged licensed production of foreign systems and domestic manufacture of primitive missiles like the Prithvi as great national achievements. Worse still, an ossified DRDO and obsolescent public sector defence production units are in no position to take advantage of the huge new opportunities that await them amidst the unfolding globalisation of the world8217;s defence industry. Like many other parts of the government8217;s vastly over-rated scientific enclave, the DRDO needs to be under searchlights. So the government should start with a comprehensive audit of the performance of the DRDO. The results may persuade politicians to seriously consider a radical overhaul.