INDIA SUMMARIZED

If there’s one thing in common with procurements by the Indian armed forces – from Bofors guns down to AgustaWestland  helicopters – it is that they have all been characterised by allegations of corruption in high places, which generated much heat and dust in the political realm, but yielded little else. Yet, over the decades, despite all the outrage, nothing has been done to put in place mechanisms that can make such procurements transparent – and try and rid the process corruption-free to the extent possible. Although the matter comes up for mention in thundering newspaper editorials whenever reports of corruption in procurements come up – the latest such editorial appears in  Feb 15’s  Business Standard  – the vested interests in the system that profit from opacity have ensured that no effective change has been brought about. In defence procurement, typically, a balance has to be struck between urgency of acquisitions, which would determine the speed of acq...