Self reliance, skills and collaboration in defence stressed

The significance of achieving self reliance in defence production, collaboration among the stakeholders and sharpening of focus on improving manufacturing skills was underscored by speakers at a panel discussion forming part of an Aerospace and Defence Manufacturing Summit in the city on Saturday.

“Indigenisation is the key and we should indigenise fully,” Director-General BrahMos, DRDO and CEO and MD of BrahMos Aerospace Jaiteerth R. Joshi said, adding that all concerned, from policy enablers, industry and academia have a role to play to make India a Viksit Bharat.

Stating that the focus should also be on enhancing skill sets, he said equally important, in the context of technology coming to play an important role, is to scale the aspirations from becoming a manufacturing hub to emerging as a technology development hub. On its part, the BrahMos makers are working to reduce the life cycle or the time taken to produce and induct from the present anywhere between 5-7 years to 3 years, a move bound to make it attractive for the partners.

On the policy issues, Chairman and Managing Director Bharat Electronics Manoj Jain said there are no constraints. “Constraints are only in mind. So if our mindsets are clear, there is no constraint to work together and to become 100% self-reliant,” he said, adding there, however, is a long way to go to achieve self-reliance. With some key deep tech technology and some key components as well as component level indigenisation lacking, the need is for all the stakeholders to work together in synergy. A technology-oriented sector such as defence requires investment from the government as well as others, including startups.

President of Boeing-India and South Asia and VP of Boeing Global Salil Gupte said the “shift to self-reliance creates a few opportunities at a high level.” At the same time, in the backdrop of changing complex geopolitics and issues like trade deals and , tariffs, collaboration on defence and aerospace and stress on co-development and co-production has been a stabilising force in the relationship. It is about building for India and for the world. It creates an export opportunity, he said.

Deputy Chief Integrated Defence Staff (PP & FD) Vice Admiral Vineet McCarty said stability in policies from a perspective of instilling confidence in industry, given manufacturing involves time and investment. Chairman of Hero Enterprise Sunil Kant Munjal moderated the panel discussion on ‘Mission Self-Reliance: Policy Enablers and Strategic Roadmap’.