We live in interesting times, geo-politically speaking. The world is witnessing myriad conflicts from those in which conventional arms are being used, as in Syria, to the power games being waged in the Western Pacific. India has its own unique security problems to contend with but what has distilled from conflicts and skirmishes in the past three decades is that, without any doubt, the medium of aerospace would hog centre space in any future conflict that India may be called upon to contest.
Aerospace activities are catalysts for innovation and generation of cutting edge technology. Advanced nations have poured in trillions for conduct of R&D so that they are able to exercise dominance over the battlefield at all times; it goes without saying that technology required to maintain this edge is zealously guarded and continuously improved to maintain the advantage. The imperativeness to maintain such an 'upper hand' is nowhere more necessary than in the case of India which has atleast two major adversaries to contend with. This is a situation that has been in existence for the better part of seven decades since independence, but has not resulted in a viable indigenous Aerospace & Defence (A&D) industry. It is to the credit of the government that it is now seized of the urgency to ameliorate the situation; the reforms being implemented show intent and impart gravitas that the situation demands.
The Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2016 has been partially issued and is valid for all procurement cases being moved after 01 April this year. Major recommendations of the Dhirendra Singh Committee have been incorporated in the DPP but some tricky ones, which could be game changers in the revamping process, are still being debated. The recommendation of creation of Strategic Partners has been looked-at by the Aatre Committee which has submitted its report endorsing the concept, with some modifications. Another Committee is looking into the most revolutionary recommendation of the Dhirendra Singh Committee the creation of a Procurement Executive or a Defence Procurement Organisation that is relatively independent of the Ministry of Defence but tasked with ensuring the timely and optimal equipping of the war fighter.
War fighting equipment is exorbitantly costly while the budget available is scarce. In such an equation the road map sketched out by the government lays great emphasis on sourcing Indian designed, developed and manufactured equipment in order to encourage the development of a local R&D and manufacturing base. To fast track the technology absorption cycle, management of offsets, a weak point so far, would require close monitoring. Here, the 52 laboratories of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) would come in handy to serve as crucibles of research by private entities too. This is especially true for the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) who are the cornerstones for the turn-around being attempted, but lack the resources necessary to be engines of a vibrant indigenous arms industry. At the end of the chain, the certification of defence equipment, which is an intricate and specialized process, would require focused attention. The overall execution of the war effort, however, requires the war fighter to have an optimum number of articles on the 'flight line' to execute his task; the Major Repair and Overhaul (MRO) sector becomes vital in ensuring this.
The '11th International Conference on Energising Indian Aerospace Industry: The Changing Environment,' deliberated on issues outlined above as also myriad other points that are part of the Government's 'Make in India' initiative. The Conference aimed to bring together Government officials, captains of industry, MSMEs, certification agencies and the users to discuss diverse viewpoints to assist policy makers take decisions to accelerate defence indigenisation.
