New Delhi. In a major boost to ‘Make in India’ initiative in Defence and Aerospace sector, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accords approval to allow private sector industry to compete with Ordnance Factories and Defence Public Sector Units (DPSUs) for the prestigious Raksha Mantri’s Awards for Excellence.

This is a significant departure from the past wherein only OFB Units and DPSUs competed among each other for the Annual Raksha Mantri’s Awards, and the private sector industry was not eligible for any national level award competition.

The revised format includes awards in Institutional and Individual/Team category for Excellence in Technological Breakthroughs, Indigenization/Import Substitution and Excellence in Exports. Separate sub-categories for Large, Medium, Small and Start-Up segments have been included to provide a level playing field for competition. The amount of Cash Award has also been significantly increased in case of Individual/Team Awards.

The nominations for awards will be invited on-line and a web portal will be developed for uploading and management of applications. The selection process will include assessment by an Expert Committee/Jury of eminent experts. A separate cell for handling all activities pertaining to Raksha Mantri’s Awards will be opened under Director General of Quality Assurance (DGQA).

It is expected that this move will facilitate widening and deepening of Industrial base in Defence and Aerospace Sector by identifying ‘hidden gems’ and wider recognition of outstanding Indian firms among national and international customers.

Hopefully this qill provide a boost to export potential of Indian defence industry, especially for MSME and Start-Up firms, by publicising their outstanding achievements at the global level.

Detailed guidelines for ‘Raksha Mantri’s Awards for Excellence in Defence and Aerospace Sector’ are available at https://www.ddpmod.gov.in, http://makeinindiadefence.gov.in and http://www.dgqadefence.gov.in.