Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved a revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for utilisation of Defence Ministry proof ranges, field firing ranges and laboratory testing facilities by the Indian defence industry, with proof and testing charges waived for several government-backed developmental projects.
Under the revised procedure, proof and testing charges have been waived for iDEX, Technology Development Fund (TDF), Make and other developmental projects of the Defence Ministry. A three-day slot every quarter has also been reserved at proof ranges for proof firing of government-sponsored developmental projects, including iDEX, TDF and Make projects. The SOP provides a list of proof ranges, field firing ranges and laboratory test facilities available with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Government Quality Assurance agencies and the three Services for use by Indian defence companies. This is intended to simplify documentation and make the process more transparent and predictable for industry.
The revised SOP aims to simplify and streamline access to testing infrastructure for indigenous defence companies, startups and innovators, and is expected to support the government’s push for “atmanirbharta” (self-reliance) in defence, innovation and defence exports, according to the Defence Ministry. The reserved slots will also cover developmental projects undertaken by indigenous defence firms on their own initiative, according to the revised SOP. The Ministry said the procedure for calculating and paying proof and testing charges, wherever applicable, has been incorporated into the revised SOP. The Ministry said the revised procedure incorporates various government initiatives aimed at promoting indigenisation, innovation and defence exports, besides providing proof and test support to developmental projects undertaken by the Indian defence industry.
