R&D key to India’s ‘Atma Nirbharta’:  NSTL DRDO chief

HYDERABAD: Stating that product design for India’s defence sector needs to meet the highest quality standards, renowned scientist and NSTL - DRDO director Dr Y Sreenivas Rao on Thursday said that R&D plays a major role in strengthening India’s defence sector in achieving Atma Nirbhar status.

Addressing the ‘Defence Conclave’ organised with the theme ‘Atma Nirbharta in Defence Manufacturing - Modernisation through Indigenisation’ organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, Telangana, Dr Rao said: “Our soldiers need to fight with superior quality products which can perform very well in all kinds of environmental conditions.”

He said that small and medium-sized companies are investing in R & D from their resources but since they are unable to compete well with large companies with huge capital outlay, they are collaborating with each other.

Colonel Jaspreet Singh, Col- ADB (Industries), Army Design Bureau, said that ‘Make in India’ is also ‘Make With the World’ and we need to get critical technologies into the country. From one of the major importers, we are now transforming into a military equipment exporter, he pointed out.

The Army Design Bureau actively engages with industry and academic institutions on development of various niche technologies for utilisation by the Indian Army. In recent years, capital outlay for defence equipment is increasing and the defence sector is expected to grow in a much bigger way.

PA Praveen, director, Defence and Aerospace, said that Telangana is implementing several skill development initiatives to ensure quality manpower is available locally. He said that the government of Telangana is also exploring the possibility of encouraging the private sector to establish an Aerospace university.