NEW DELHI: The defence ministry on Thursday said over 180 contracts worth about Rs 1.96 lakh crore, which range from Akash missiles and Dhruv advanced light helicopters to Dornier maritime aircraft and Vajra self-propelled 155mm artillery guns , have been inked with defence PSUs and Indian industry since 2014.

“These include seven more squadrons of Akash air defence missiles for Rs 6,300 crore and the integrated advanced command and control system (IACCS) nodes for Rs 7,900 crore from Bharat Electronics Ltd,” said the MoD .

“The Ordnance Factory Board has also been tasked to supply 464 T-90S/SK tanks worth Rs 19,100 crore (under license manufacture from Russia), for which indent was placed on it in November,” it added.

The MoD statement comes after TOI on December 2 reported that none of the major “Make in India” projects in the defence arena - new-generation stealth submarines, minesweepers, infantry combat vehicles, transport aircraft, fighter jets and two types of light utility helicopters for the armed forces - have actually taken off in the last six years.

These seven long-pending projects, collectively worth over Rs 3.5 lakh crore, are either stuck or still meandering through different stages, without the final contracts to launch production being inked till now. The over Rs 50,000 crore project to manufacture six diesel-electric submarines, for instance, got the “acceptance of necessity” way back in November 2007.

While not disputing these facts or delays, the MoD said three of the seven projects (six submarines, 114 fighter jets for IAF and 111 twin-engine naval utility helicopters) were now being “expeditiously progressed” under the “strategic partnership (SP)” model that was promulgated in May 2017.

“The EOIs (expression of interest) have been received (from the proposed manufacturers) in the submarine and naval helicopter projects. The service qualitative requirements are being finalized in the fighter jet project,” said the MoD.

