New Delhi: On the opening day of India's biggest defence exhibition in New Delhi on Saturday, Defence Minister A K Antony tried to defend the integrity of the defence procurement process and made clear that the ban on middlemen in defence deals will stay.
The message comes even as India looks poised to emerge as the biggest arms market. India is expected to spend $30 billion in arms purchases over the next five years.
Antony justified the abrupt cancellation of two mega tenders in 2007 which set back the military's artillery and helicopter modernization programmes by several years.
The Defence Minister took a hard line on middlemen and declared that there would be no compromise on transparency.
"Whenever we receive any complaint of kickbacks, we take action," he said.
He, however, ruled out cancellation of 1.2 billion dollar deal with Israel for acquisition of three Falcon Air Control and Early Warning Control System (AWACS) with Israel.
Asked about Israeli media reports that India had nearly paid three times more for AWACS than the price quoted by China and that commissions were paid in the deal, Antony said "the Defence Ministry has received no such complaints."
Companies like Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon from the US and Thales, Gican, DCNS from France are participating in the Expo.
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