T-90 "Bhishma" Main Battle Tank of the Indian Army

The Indian Army has formalised a procedure that will allow Indian private companies to work on existing weapons and equipment to suggest modifications and improvements.

These companies will be allowed to work on ‘in-service’ equipment. 

The Vice-Chief of the Army will be approving the authorisation for handing over the service equipment. An advisory support committee will assist him.

The equipment can be handed over for a year, extendable by six months, said the new protocol.

The companies can modify, upgrade and even provide substitution of whole equipment or its sub-assemblies.

The idea is to see that private industry and the academia gets access to military equipment to help in innovating the design, integrating additional systems and developing new variants.