Government and defence buyers have several routes to buy equipment, and the paperwork differs between them. This guide walks through the usual steps and the documents to ask suppliers for. Always confirm current rules and financial limits with your purchase or finance officer.
Pick the right route
| Route | Typically used for |
|---|---|
| GeM (Government e-Marketplace) | Items and services listed on GeM; direct purchase, L1 purchase or bid / reverse auction depending on value |
| Open or limited tender (CPPP or defence e-procurement portals) | Requirements not available on GeM, or custom and turnkey work such as ranges and labs |
| Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) | Capital acquisitions by the armed forces |
| Purchases under delegated financial powers | Smaller unit-level purchases, as the rules allow |
Step by step
- Write the requirement. State performance and outcomes (endurance, altitude, range, lanes, trainees per batch), not a brand. Clear qualitative requirements (QRs) attract compliant bids.
- Survey the market. Ask two or three suppliers for budgetary quotes and datasheets, and ask for a demonstration where you can.
- Choose the route from the table above, based on the estimated value and whether the item is on GeM.
- Publish the bid with technical and commercial conditions, including warranty, training, delivery and acceptance trials.
- Evaluate technically. Check compliance statements line by line and run trials or demonstrations where the bid calls for them.
- Evaluate commercially and place the order or contract.
- Accept and train. Inspect on delivery, run acceptance tests, and complete operator and maintainer training before sign-off.
Documents to ask suppliers for
- OEM authorisation if the bidder is not the manufacturer
- Technical compliance statement answering every clause of your specification
- Detailed specification sheet and datasheets for major components
- Local-content declaration under the Make in India public procurement order
- Warranty terms, AMC offer and a spares list
- Training plan and delivery schedule
How our Tender & GeM desk helps
We support purchases through GeM, open and limited tenders, defence portals and direct orders. Our Tender & GeM desk provides OEM authorisations, technical compliance statements, detailed spec sheets and budgetary quotes for your requirement, and can arrange a demonstration.
Restricted products such as strike UAS are supplied only to Indian government and authorised defence users; their documents are shared on request from an official address.
