New Delhi– Clearing its stand on the duration and extent of the ban on the black-listed firms, the government on Tuesday informed Parliament that the ban on the six firms will remain for 10 years and it will also extend to their sister firms.

“Six firms including their allied and subsidiary firms are debarred from further business dealings with the Ministry of Defence for a period of 10 years w.e.f. 11.4.2012. Further, business dealings are suspended /put on hold in respect of 13 firms,” Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

“In respect of another four firms, orders were issued restricting procurement from the concerned firms in cases where procurements are justified and necessary on the basis of operational urgency, national security and non-availability of other alternatives,” he added.

In 2012, the ministry debarred six firms — Singapore Technologies Kinetics Ltd, Israel Military Industries Ltd, Rheinmetall Air Defence, Corporation Defence, Russia, TS Kisan & Co Pvt Ltd, and RK Machine Tools Ltd — from further business dealings with the Ordnance Factory Board, Department of Defence Production and the ministry for a period of 10 years.