The defence ministry has issued a notification for reorganisation of the Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) aimed at speeding up quality assurance processes and trials and reducing layers of decision-making.

The move is a major reform towards ease of doing business and to achieve ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence. 

Directorate General of Quality Assurance

• DGQA traces its roots to the Inspectorate of Armaments established in  Ammunition Factory, Kirkee in 1869. 

• With the transformation in portfolio of Weapons & Equipments, the Organisation has undergone many changes over the decades.

• The organisation came into its present form in 1957 when Maj Gen Pratap Narain was appointed as the first Director General on September 27, 1957. 

• Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) is an inter-service organisation functioning under the Department of Defence Production in the ministry of defence. 

• DGQA is responsible for quality assurance of all defence stores and equipment, both imported as well as indigenous for the Army, Navy (excluding Naval Armaments) and common user items for the Air Force procured from the private sector, public sector undertakings and ordnance factories.

• Apart from quality assurance activities, the organisation is responsible for import substitution and associates with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in the development projects. 

• It also ensures documentation, codification and standardisation action for minimising the variety of components/equipments. 

• The other services rendered are promotion of small scale industries, post-procurement services, defect investigations and technical consultancy to the users, ministry and the production agencies.

Re-organisation of DGQA

• With the corporatisation of ordnance factories into new DPSUs, increased participation of private defence industry and impetus by the government towards indigenisation, a need was felt to reorganise DGQA for an effective and efficient support to emerging defence manufacturing industry.

• The DGQA has already been steering various organisational and functional reforms after active discussions with all stakeholders in the defence manufacturing ecosystem.

• The new structure under implementation will enable single-point technical support for complete equipment/weapon platforms at all levels and also ensure uniformity in product-based quality assurance.

• The new structure also provides for a separate Directorate of Defence Testing and Evaluation Promotion to facilitate transparent allocation of Proof Ranges and testing facilities.

• This arrangement coupled with automation and digitisation of standardised quality assurance processes is likely to significantly improve the engagement of defence industry with DGQA. 

• The reorganised structure and ongoing functional reforms will give an impetus to indigenisation drive under ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ with availability of Indian standards or equivalent to guide manufacturers within the country, and this will also boost export of high-quality qualified defence products.

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