Outsourcing of Defence Logistics in the Indian Armed Forces

Mrinal Suman

Major General (Retd.) Mrinal Suman retired from the Indian Army in 2003 and currently heads the Defence Technical Assessment and Adivsory Service of Confederation of Indian Industry. read more

There is today an increasing acceptance of the concept of defence outsourcing of non-core logistic functions. Outsourcing frees commanders to focus on their primary task and saves resources. The paper attempts a holistic treatment of the subject from conceptual concerns to related practical issues. A brief scan of defence outsourcing the world over leads us to examine benefits that accrue and the precautions that should be taken. The paper goes on to analyse types of functions that can be safely outsourced and suggests a methodology for the entire process. Finally, the paper suggests a well-calibrated phased approach for India with progressive reviews and improvements.