Had an opportunity to speak to a young scientist from one of the DRDO labs...he put things succinctly reg our MIC, reg scientists - their aspirations, their hope n despair... he put in nutshell wat ails our military (most which we already know)....he said the reason we developed strategic platforms successfully (strategic missile, ABM, n-sub and associated tech like radar, propellent, mini nuclear reactor) on our own was because no nation on earth will sell it n we have quality scientists..no syndicate to jeopardize projects....if we can build strategic systems on our own... Less challenging tactical systems (Arjun, Tejas, artillery, rockets, transporters)and bread n butter systems like sniper, hmg, ciws, should be a cake walk....but India still imports these lowly tactical systems because of decades old well oiled syndicate that pervades corridors of power - MOD and Tri service with their well placed agents... promising systems were smothered to death by sabotage by using their stooges (arjun- CVRDE scientists had to fit surveillance system during user trials) and by constantly shifting goal posts had made zoombies of these patriotic scientists....some systems we know (eg..arjun)....some systems we don't even know in public forums......a generation of brilliance, innovations lost....Parrikar was an answer to their prayers...gave them a lot of hope...u can see it in there faces when they talk about this golden period..a lot of changes happened in the labs..now future of our MIC is uncertain...will it relapse into the bear hug of our import lobby or trudge along the indigenous course chartered by strong man Parrikar... everything hinges on our next Def Min, they feel we need some one in the likes of Parrikar to weild the indigenous stick with gusto to tame this decades old import syndicate cancer...otherwise we would be the only country in post cold war to design develope deploy an ABM but still rooting for foreign rifle.....hope our Def ministry don't go the way of our another bemoth Indian railways..Suresh Prabhu was not able to tame the bureaucracy n we are paying in blood of innocents...
