With a day to go for the fiscal year closing, the Defence Ministry on Thursday inked contracts worth more than Rs 32,000 crore to buy missiles, ships, radar and strategic electronics for equipping the Indian armed forces.
Four contracts worth Rs 32,100 crores were signed with defence public sector undertakings, Brahmos Aerospace and Cochin Shipyard.
If one adds two other deals inked a day-before in the list, then it turns out that commercial contracts worth Rs 37,500 crores were signed at the fag end of the fiscal.
The deals include Rs 19,600 crore contracts with Indian shipyards for acquisition of 11 next generation offshore patrol vessels and six next generation missile vessels for Indian Navy. They also include buying two more regiments of Akash air defence missiles for the army from Bharat Dynamics Limited at a cost of Rs 8,160 crore.
The two additional regiments were procured for the northern borders to meet aerial threats, a defence ministry official said, noting that the improved Akash weapon system would have seeker technology, reduced foot-prints, 360 degrees engagement capabilities and improved environmental parameters.
The ministry also signed a Rs 1700 crore contract with Brahmos Aerospace to buy the supersonic cruise missiles along with next generation maritime mobile coastal batteries.
The purchases happened two days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to address top commanders of the army, air force and navy at the Combined Commanders Conference in Bhopal where among other things Atmanirbharat (self-reliance) in defence will be reviewed.
The contract for the acquisition of 11 next-generation OPVs was signed with Goa Shipyard Ltd and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata at a total cost of Rs 9,781 crore.
Of the 11 ships, seven will be indigenously designed, developed and manufactured by GSL and four by GRSE. The delivery of the ships is scheduled to commence from September 2026. The six missile vessels will be manufactured by Cochin Shipyard Limited at a cost of Rs 9,805 crore and the delivery of ships is scheduled to commence from March 2027.
Other deals are 13 fire control systems for the Indian Navy and 12 weapon locating radar for Indian Army; both are to be supplied by Bharat Electronics Limited.