Munitions India Ltd (MIL) is showcasing indigenous military products at a leading trade show in Prague, Czech Republic, to attract foreign buyers and boost exports, officials aware of the matter said on Friday.
SMPP Ltd could face suspension or be debarred from government contracts under the country’s defence procurement rules. However, its name was missing from the defence ministry’s latest list of firms debarred from government business or suspended for corruption and unfair practices in securing military contracts. MIL executive director Anil Kumar, his brother B Harshavardhan and private defence firm SMPP Ltd CEO Ashish Kansal were arrested on October 14.
A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe and arrests in the alleged corruption case linked to a ₹ 500-crore ammunition contract have cast a shadow over MIL, one of the country’s best-performing ordnance units, which has also strengthened its presence in overseas markets. Rules allow the government to suspend business dealings with any entity pending a full inquiry into corruption allegations. It can also suspend business dealings with a firm the moment it refers any complaint against it to the CBI or any other investigating agency, or when it receives intimation regarding the initiation of a criminal investigation against that firm.
