Who heads the Defence Acquisition Council ?

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) is the highest decision-making body in the Ministry of Defence for capital acquisitions. It was established as an overarching structure to ensure expeditious procurement for the Indian Armed Forces [2]. The DAC is chaired by the Union Minister of Defence (Raksha Mantri) [2]. Its composition includes the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and the Defence Secretary as members [4]. While the Director General (Acquisition) heads committees for reviewing procedures like the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP), the leadership of the Council itself remains with the Defence Minister. The Council's primary role is to accord 'Acceptance of Necessity' (AoN) for capital acquisition proposals, ensuring modernization and operational readiness [5].

Sources

1. [2] https://mod.gov.in/dod/sites/default/files/DEFENCE_PROCUREMENT_ORGANISATION.pdf
2. [1] https://ddnews.gov.in/en/dac-clears-defence-procurement-proposals-worth-rs-79000-crore/
3. [3] https://www.pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1768857
4. [4] https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2210154&reg=6&lang=1
5. [5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_of_Defence_Staff_(India)