Atmanirbharta has always been SITARA’s aim

There is good news for SITARA: as per media reports, the Oxford Dictionary has just chosen Atmanirbharta as the Hindi word of the year. Together with the withdrawal of the skewed BSNL 4G tender and its re-launch to ensure a level playing field for domestic companies, several defence equipment orders placed on domestic industry, and the prospects of an US$80 bn domestic defence procurement drive to rejuvenate India’s high-tech sector, Atmanirbharta is no longer merely a slogan. It is necessary for the Government and the public to exercise utmost vigilance so that vested interests do not subvert the momentum. SITARA has been doing its bit by regularly writing to Government on the need to ensure the growth of domestic industry. Public procurement is one of the most effective arms for this. Our omnibus letter addressed to the NSCS detailing the multiple ways domestic procurement had been undermined – in early January 2019 – following earlier representations, set the ball rolling.