SSS Defence CEO Vivek Krishnan.
New Delhi: India’s recent decision to acquire an additional 73,000 SIG 716 assault rifles from US manufacturer Sig Sauer Inc has sparked intense debate over the country’s defence procurement practices after Vivek Krishnan, CEO of Bengaluru-based SSS Defence, expressed his disappointment and frustration on X early Wednesday regarding the government’s move. Krishnan also obliquely criticized the government’s ongoing reliance on foreign-made weapons, particularly in light of the much-touted “Make in India” initiative.
In the five-point post, Krishnan highlighted the challenges faced by domestic defence manufacturers in competing with foreign companies, especially when the government prioritizes imports over local production. He emphasized that SSS Defence – a company with a 70-year history and now emerging as a serious player in the Indian defence sector – has been working diligently to develop world-class small arms, yet these efforts appear to be overlooked by the government.
Been bombarded with messages since y’day seeking “my” opinion on the follow on acquisition of SIG 716i by the Indian army. Well, we knew this was coming. So, just went about our work. But some plainspeak is well worth it.
— Vivek Krishnan (@Viv_Krishnan) August 28, 2024
1. I wish the govt had not acquired more of these. A…
In his post, the SSS Defence CEO began by expressing his disappointment with the government’s decision. He said: “I wish the government had not acquired more of these [SIG 716 rifles]. A private solicitation and insistence on Indian design and content would’ve easily thrown up a contender or many in fact. Testing the same against the in-service system would’ve been rather easy.”
Despite the setback, the SSS Defence CEO emphasized the company’s commitment to maintaining its presence in the defence industry and pursuing international expansion. He said while most other companies in this situation would shut shop, his company had decided a long while ago to be the “most fearless dog” in this business. He said: “We shall still have a weapon for each calibre and the user to us is still the man in uniform. We will be global.”
Continuing with his expression of disappointment, Krishnan voiced his doubts regarding the seriousness and the effectiveness of the government’s much-touted “Make in India” initiative in the defence sector. He pointed out the hurdles confronting Indian manufacturers and stressed the necessity for enhanced backing and patience to foster homegrown weaponry development.
He said: “What about Make in India for defence? There are a handful of guys really doing good work in the small arms space. There’s commitment from them and all it’ll take is patience. With our neighbourhood, only a fool can imagine doing without indigenous weapons. They’ll have to come and buy from us.
Krishnan then criticized the government and highlighted that the private sector is trying to undo the damage done by government-owned companies over the years in the defence-manufacturing sphere.
The SSS Defence CEO said: “What about pride in Indian stuff? We lost that pride a long while ago by building sub-standard weapons in government-controlled space. If anything, the private sector is regaining some of the pride.” Then, with a tinge of sarcasm, he added: “But making good weapons and getting them accepted is a difficult task. We know since going global has taught us that. In any case, we brown skinned Indians have always found that we’re respected by our own global peers before the country wakes up. It’s a self-esteem thing.”
Finally, he threw a challenge to the Indian Army (read government) to test the rifles his company made against “global benchmarks” and make the results public as “real armies” do.
He said: “Here’s the challenge – we’ve heard from the buyer for a long time that ‘we’re not there on metallurgy’ or ‘our designs are behind time’. I say put an indigenous weapon of ours against a global benchmark in each calibre and test out. Make the results open like real serious armies do. Test protocols are clearly defined. It would be the best for both sides. How difficult is that?”
The SSS Defence CEO’s post kicked off a debate with several prominent journalists, ex-servicemen, commentators, and former bureaucrats lending their voices.
Well said @Viv_Krishnan . Hope our leaders esp Hon'bles @narendramodi jee and @rajnathsingh jee lend their ears and give a serious thought.
— Ravi Kumar Gupta (@rav26051) August 28, 2024
Will @adgpi accept the challenge honesty (Overcoming lure of IMPORTs and Makhan Malai)
"Here’s the challenge - we’ve heard from the buyer… https://t.co/2PnVRcjbw6
Among them, Ravi Kumar Gupta, a former DRDO scientist, commentator and author, backed Krishnan and urged Indian decisionmakers to take the SSS Defence CEO’s challenge seriously. Gupta said it is crucial to hear what people in the industry are saying and give proper thought to what Indian companies can make in India.
Gupta also directly urged the prime minister, Narendra Modi, and the defence minister, Rajnath Singh, to look into Krishnan’s concerns. Gupta stressed that the country needs to properly compare indigenously made weapons with those from other countries. Tagging Modi and Singh, Gupta, in a post on X, expressed hope that the Army accept Krishnan’s challenge honesty by “overcoming [the] lure” of imports and kickbacks.
