Global OEMs open to sourcing products from India, says Gupta
The MSMEs should upgrade on technology and not cut corners for offering best quality products to tap the high potential of supplies to the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), said Vivek Bharadwaj, IAS, Additional Secretary (PM), Ministry of Home Affairs.
“We at the forces can’t afford to trust the outdated or a low quality product. It is also the responsibility of MSMEs, not to cut corners but to make products which Indian Forces should be proud of and other forces should also think of adapting them,” he said at the National Conference on Indigenization Requirements of Paramilitary Forces: Opportunities for MSMEs organized by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry on 8 April 2021.
“We are ensuring that our domestic players get a level playing field,” he added.
The Government is keen to offer numerous opportunities to the Indian companies especially the MSMEs in manufacturing of defence and security products for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) but it is for the MSMEs to take this opportunity, said Bharadwaj.
Last year, the Government stated that all the financial data of Indians should be stored in India itself. While the companies said that the system will collapse but later all the foreign players shifted to storing the data in the servers located in India itself, he pointed out.
The Government’s recently launched but much-awaited measures for the growth of the Indian defense and Internal Security sector are a welcome step and will certainly fuel the growth of the defense MSMEs, said M K Gupta, Chairman, Defence & HLS Committee, PHD Chamber.
“The units should look at not just producing for the Indian needs but also explore export opportunities. Global OEMs are open to sourcing from India,” noted Gupta.
The industry has been invited to come up with the latest technologies and solutions in products like Bullet Proof Morcha, Door Frame Metal Detector, Armored Vehicles, Bullet Proof Vehicles, UBGL, Baggage Scanners and many more, according to Ajay Kumar Yadav, IPS IG (Provision), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
Saurabh Tripathi, IPS IG (Provision), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), said he expected the industry to come forward and participate in the procurement process. They are willing to handhold them in supplying the needs to paramilitary forces.
Further more, R S Kataria DIG, Border Security Force (BSF), listed products for the industry, such Anti-Bacterial, Anti-Fungal, Anti-Spike Coats, Bullet Proof Jackets and Helmets and Sensors to detect tunnel digging. But he impressed on the need for product quality to be high and light weight for the forces to carry.
PHDCCI President Sanjay Aggarwal deliberated the reforms announced by the Government for defense production to boost Indian Defense and Homeland Security Industry during and in the post-Covid era.
These measures are giving a big impetus to local manufacturing and especially to a large number of defense MSMEs with many of them working on niche technologies, he highlighted.
Aggarwal acknowledged the Government’s aims at achieving substantive self-reliance in the design, development, and production of equipment, weapon systems, and platforms required for defense and homeland security by creating conditions conducive for Indian private industry to play an active role in this endeavor.
“We are aware that there are consistent efforts by the Government to modernize the Paramilitary forces and the State police to cope up with the changing needs of internal security. The key essence to making our Paramilitary Forces self-reliant is to promote indigenization at all levels of manufacturing of defense and security products.
“The Indian defense and security companies are competent to manufacture and supply for the current and future needs of our Paramilitary Forces. Many of them are working on the most advanced technologies and have even tied up with global OEMs for the transfer of technology,” said Aggarwal.
PHD Chamber is keen to work with the Paramilitary Forces in their indigenization effort and would like to offer our reach across the industry for the Forces to share their requirements with them.
“We are willing to act as a facilitator in enhancing the relationship between the Forces and the Indian defense industry,” assured Aggarwal. #manufacturing #exports #technology #investment #defence /fiinews.com
