The onerous responsibility of Air Defence of Indian skies vests with Indian Air Force, the fourth largest air force in the world. Today, IAF is on the threshold of modernisation and expansion to meet the ever changing scenarios in the neighborhood and the emerging threat perceptions.
IAF is acquiring a host of platforms and systems to boost its operational capabilities. The technologies and capabilities that IAF need in the next 15 years are highlighted in the ‘Technology Perspective and Capability Roadmap’ (TPCR) published by HQ Integrated Defence Staff. On the anvil are acquisition projects worth more than Rs 2,50,000 crores. Ironically, only 10-15% of these are expected to be from indigenous sources.
Further, the present operational inventory of IAF consists of equipment of Russian origin as well as of Western origin. This includes legacy equipment’s that are over 30 year old and modern equipment which are merely two years old. Maintenance support for the legacy systems to some extend is provided through Defence Public Sector Units (DPSUs) and Base Repair Depots of IAF. However, sizeable dependency of foreign OEMs for spares support and MRO facilities still remains for legacy as well as recently inducted fleets/ systems.
Acquisition of new equipment as well as its life cycle management offers a huge opportunity for Indian industry to reap financial as well as technological benefits. It is needless to say that growth of private defence industry in India will remain associated with the aim of self-reliance, job creation, skill development and above all to fulfil the ‘Make in India’ initiative of Government of India.
The Government of India has also unleashed a host of measures to promote indigenous development and manufacture of Defence equipment. DPP-2016, re3veised offset policy and enhanced FDI in Defence sector are some of such measures which are very promising for the private industry to participate in Defence production.
For pursuance of ‘Make in India’ initiative and other liberalisation measures of Government of India, Indian Air Force, in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) is organising a one-day seminar on 19 Apr 2016 at New Delhi. The seminar is aimed at providing a platform for IAF, DPSUs and private Indian industries to interact with each other on issues related to ‘Indigenous development and manufacture of defence aviation equipment’. The top level decision makers of Ministry of Defence, IAF, DPSUs, DRDO and private aviation industry, including MSMEs, would be expressing their perspectives on the subject. The interaction during the seminar is aimed to arrive to convergence on the drivers for indigenous development, the key challenges and the way forward to achieve the desired self-reliance in Defence aviation sector.
The Seminar would provide an excellent opportunity for Indian aviation industries and those aspiring to foray into Defence aviation sector, to map their capabilities with the needs of IAF.
