Army items are not procured like TV or mobile, Defence deals cannot happen overnight: Manohar Parrikar

Defence deals, unlike purchase of televisions or mobile phones, are not made overnight and take "a lot of time" owing to bureaucratic procedures, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Saturday.

Speaking at a function in Hyderabad, Parrikar noted that sometimes, in the bureaucracy, those who do not understand anything about the product, deal with their procurement. "Things do take time in defence (deals). Even if I make an order, it does not happen overnight because it requires time to mature. Army items are not procured off the shelf like you buy a TV or a mobile, like you walk into a shop and come out with the product," he said.

"To place a defence order, it takes a hell lot of time. With every Tom, Dick and Harry sitting in the department, those who do not understand anything about actual product asking some vague questions, sometimes funny questions, also sometimes relevant questions. After he satisfies himself he gets transferred and somebody else comes in and raises different kind of queries again ... it takes lot of time," Parrikar said.

The Defence Minister was speaking at the foundation- laying ceremony of a new facility here for Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL), a joint venture between Boeing and Tata Advanced Systems.

Parrikar said the government's emphasis was on skill development programmes for aviation sector, and it was working with Boeing towards that. The minister, who in the morning visited T-Hub, a technological incubator started by the Telangana government, interacted with the budding entrepreneurs there.