Defence ministry to launch ‘Sampurna’ system to bring transparency in defence procurement

Pune: The Ministry of Defence is set to introduce ‘Sampurna', an end-to-end digital procurement management system, that will track every defence purchase from inception to final payment. Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA) Vishvajit Sahay said the project received all necessary approvals, and a Request for Proposal (RFP) has already been issued. The Defence Accounts Department (DAD) expects to finalise the contract by early March, after which its implementation will commence.
"We are in constant dialogue with the services to bring them on board. It is a work in progress, but we are confident of moving ahead quickly and commence the work by March," Sahay told newspersons on the sidelines of the foundation-laying ceremony of the National Academy of Defence Financial Management (NADFM) at Navi Sangvi on Monday. Southern Army Commander Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth also attended the event. Sahay said that Sampurna (System Automation for Procurement, Payment and Uniform Raksha Accounting) would function as a "cradle-to-grave" procurement platform, capturing the entire lifecycle of defence acquisitions and creating a powerful decision-support database for policymakers. "It will record procurement, right from the initiation of statement of case to the final payment. Given the scale of defence procurement in India, this will be a game changer," he said. India's defence procurement involves massive financial outlays. The Union Budget has earmarked Rs2.2 lakh crore for capital expenditure, while revenue procurement also remains substantial, taking the total annual procurement spending beyond Rs4 lakh crore. Officials of the Defence Accounts Department said the absence of a single, integrated system so far limited the ability to draw real-time insights from procurement data, particularly in an era of multiple vendors, complex contracts and indigenous manufacturing. "This system will provide immense and valuable data to decision-makers, helping both financial managers and operational authorities take informed, timely decisions," he said. With the govt prioritising domestic defence manufacturing, procurement processes became more layered, involving Indian start-ups, public sector units and private manufacturers alongside global suppliers, officials said. According to Sahay, the system will be especially critical in managing this evolving ecosystem. "By digitising workflows and payments, it will enhance transparency, accountability and efficiency, while also enabling better monitoring of indigenisation-linked procurement outcomes," he said. Once operational, the system will add to the DAD's growing digital ecosystem, complementing ongoing efforts to centralise defence financial data and apply artificial intelligence and analytics for strategic decision-making. The new NADFM will be developed on a 13.5-acre campus and is expected to be ready by mid-2028. "The academy will conduct various defence financial management courses for armed forces, coast guard, DRDO, etc, with increased strength. Currently, the DAD conducts only weekly capsule courses. Also, our officials could focus on research in defence finance, which is a crucial thing for the ministry now," said a senior official of the DAD. Sahay said they would also tie up with global organisations like the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Sweden, to study procurement in the defence sector across the globe. Controller General of Defence Accounts Vishvajit Sahay on Monday claimed that the ambitious SPARSH (System for Pension Administration Raksha) platform is close to achieving full operational maturity, with the bulk of defence pensioners already migrated to the digital system. Speaking during a media interaction, he said the migration process under SPARSH is "almost complete", with only about 25,000 pensioners remaining to be brought onto the platform.The system, which aims to create a transparent, end-to-end digital pension ecosystem, faced initial operational challenges but has now stabilised and delivered tangible improvements in pension administration. "Like any large-scale reform, SPARSH had its challenges, but it rolled out into a very successful system," he said, adding that the department is continuing to refine and improve the platform. While acknowledging that the system has not yet reached absolute finality, he stressed that the Defence Accounts Department is confident of achieving complete stabilisation in the near future.