Chennai, Sep 21 - It is an 'old mindset' that secrecy would be compromised if the Indian private sector is involved in the supply of defence equipment, which was hampering import substitution, union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said here Monday.

Speaking at a function held to celebrate 60 years of forming of the city-based Tube Investments of India Ltd, part of the $3 billion Murugappa Group, he said: 'Most of our defence manufacturing in India is of basic nature. We are heavily dependent on imports for sophisticated equipments on countries like the US and others.'

'When the nation can trust the employees of public sector units, it can also trust the patriotism of private sector workers in supplying defence equipments,' he said.