Indigenisation vital in defence sector, says MoS Defence Bhamre

Dr Bhamre said the government has put defence at the core of its ‘Make in India’ programme and further stated that various companies are expressing their willingness to invest in India

Editor Defence Industry, Indigenisation, Interviews, Security
MoS Defence Dr Subhash Bhamre speaking at a seminar in New Delhi
MoS Defence Dr Subhash Bhamre speaking at a seminar in New Delhi

New Delhi. Minister of State (MoS) for Defence Dr Subhash Bhamre has said that the quest for indigenisation must be the foremost concern of any organisation and it is even more important in defence sector as it leads to self-reliance which is critical to national security.

He was speaking at the inauguration of a seminar on Solutions to Problem Statements with a theme ‘Indigenous Technological Empowerment of the Indian Army’ in New Delhi on October 25, 2017.

 

Dr Bhamre stated that significance of indigenisation must be fully absorbed by all stakeholders and must implement ‘Make in India’ in all future acquisition programmes. He appreciated that the Indian Army has not only organised a series of initiatives towards this objective, but also created the Army Design Bureau (ADB), which is a unique organisation to facilitate interaction and seek participation of the Indian industry and the academic community.

Commenting that technology has permeated into all facets of daily existence, he said its relevance in warfare is most critical and always the side with access to better technologies will always win. “True self-reliance in defence, therefore will flow out of fully home-grown technology,” he said.

 
Army Chief General Bipin Rawat briefing the minister at the exhibition organised on the sidelines of the seminar
Army Chief General Bipin Rawat briefing the minister at the exhibition organised on the sidelines of the seminar

The MoS Defence mentioned that the government in the recent past launched several initiatives to develop technologies in niche sectors like defence and aerospace. There is a Technological Development Fund in the Ministry of Defence for specific projects. He said initiatives like the Skill India and Startup India will further create the necessary eco-system in the defence sector to realize a fully Made in India platform.

Dr Bhamre said the government has put defence at the core of its ‘Make in India’ programme and further stated that various companies are expressing their willingness to invest in India by utilizing the country’s highly talented and skilled manpower. This has a huge potential and to even export the products to friendly foreign countries. The Minister also inaugurated an exhibition of Solutions and Innovations at the venue.

 

Speaking at the function, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Bipin Rawat said that the Army has encouraged the academia and the industry in the country to come and understand the requirements with regard to equipment that is needed by the Army.

Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Secretary General Dr Sanjaya Baru, CMD Bharat Forge Ltd Baba N Kalyani and Lt Gen (Retd) Subrata Saha also spoke on the occasion.

The function was attended by senior officials from the Indian Army, Ministry of Defence, FICCI and the representatives from the industry and academia.