Defence industry is poised for significant growth opportunities, says Shriram
Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, Indian Air Force, has called for making air armament integrated with all types of aircrafts to ensure it is more effective https://www.indian-military.org/ .
The Air Marshal has also called on private players in the industry to explore opportunities in components and sub-components.
“As air armament is a niche area of technology, there is a lot of scope available for private sector in subcomponents if not in actual products,” he told a PHDCCI’s Conference on “Ramping up Ammunition Production in India to meet Global Demand”. It was held on 7 May in New Delhi on the theme, “Amplifying India’s Ammunition Production: Initiatives & Opportunities” https://www.phdcci.in/ .
Vice Admiral, Sanjay Vatsayan, AVSM, NM, Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (DCIDS), (PP&FD), has highlighted two lessons learned from the current global scenarios https://www.mod.gov.in/ .
“One is no operation or conflict will be short, and second is self-reliance. One must look into self-reliance as one cannot fight war solely on the supply chain,” he underscored. “Therefore, it leads to an opportunity to have a time-bound plan https://www.state.gov/ .”
He noted issues addressed clinically in the last few years, and pointed out that the government is nimble on this with a variety of policies and initiatives.
Further, he emphasised on need to ensure to take advantage of intellectual properties present in the country, and more investment in R&D besides ramping up production as this is the ideal opportunity https://www.sidm.in/ .
With increasing emphasis on indigenization, innovation, and self-sufficiency, the Indian Defence industry is poised for significant growth opportunities, according to Rudra Shriram Chair, Defence & HLS Committee, PHDCCI & President, DCM Shriram Industries Ltd https://dcmsr.com/ .
The Defence and aerospace sector plays a pivotal role in India’s economic and strategic landscape, he pointed out, calling on the industry to ramp up ammunition production as it is not just about meeting current demands but also about positioning India as a reliable supplier in the international market.
The journey towards enhancing ammunition production involves a multi-faceted approach, including technology infusion, research and development, collaboration with global partners, skill development, and policy reforms https://www.gifas.fr/en/ , he said.
“It requires a concerted effort from government bodies, industry players, academia, and research institutions to create an ecosystem that fosters innovation, efficiency, and competitiveness,” said Rudra Shriram.
P Upadhyay, INAS Director General of Naval Armament (DGONA) told delegates at the meeting that a nation has to ensure that its defence and security capabilities are non-negotiable and the need for robust ammunition infrastructure to support defence forces.
“Even after 75 years of independence, we are still dependent on imports, which speaks volumes. The ongoing conflicts have already had an adverse impact. Thus, we must reduce our dependence and focus on fostering production, which will boost tech innovation.”
While enhancing defence testing infrastructure, niche labs made available to private players, he emphasized on PPP to pace up innovations in ammunition manufacturing as there’s immense potential in skill development and job creation.
Maj Gen V K Sharma, SM, VSM Additional Director General (Procurement), MGS Branch, deliberated on the user perspective and procurement angle. He said normally, the buyer decides ammunition but here the seller is deciding the price, cost, timeframe, and to whom they want to sell. “It can’t be a better opportunity for the industry.”
He further discussed on the Prime Minister’s call for self-reliance in all manufacturing processes, especially defence manufacturing. He also emphasized on R&D and informed that the demand is ever-increasing with government policies http://dronefederation.in/ .
He believes indigenization of ammunition in the next couple of years will have zero imports to meet our critical manufacturing requirements of ammunition. “The private sector has intent and capability to meet the demand. What they need is the right direction in the market and demand and to look out for the gaps that can be covered and building capacity.”
“In the current global war scenario, the lesson is that we may have a lot of air attack capabilities, but ultimately, the decisive position takes place on the ground,” says Hari Mohan, IOFS Ex-Chairman & Director General, Indian Ordnance Factories, Ministry of Defence.
“Various wings of the army fight on the ground with ammunition. (But) there’s a real global shortage of ammunition, and even components of ammunition are also getting imported.
“Therefore, India has a lot of capabilities, and the industry should take advantage of these opportunities for the country amidst the growing demand for ammunition,” he suggested.
Further talking about the demand for drones to deliver the ammunition, technology demand, the requirement of casting chemicals, explosives compound, safe packaging, he said there are a variety of opportunities available. “But one must remember it requires multiple technologies, as military standards are highly optimized. There’s a lot of expertise available in the country.”
The ammunition is being dispersed faster than food and water due to the geopolitical conflicts, especially the Ukraine-Russia war, Gaza, Armenia, among others, according to Col. K V Kuber (Retd.), Indian Army Veteran Director – Aerospace & Defence, Ernst and Young LLP https://www.ey.com/en_sg .
The shortage of ammunition contributed to the withdrawal of Ukraine https://www.nytimes.com/ in one of the war zones, he said, pointing out that even Russia is importing ammunition https://www.bbc.com/ .
The cost of war is high and now there’s a need for investment in sophisticated ammunition, he added.
He called for adoption of technology in ammunition storage.
Col. Kuber further discussed the Indian army’s 10-year annual plan, where 85% has been indigenized till now. “There’s a need for Indian players. We need to stock up for domestic needs and our customers. Looking at the current war scenario, the wars are not short wars hence, it makes it more crucial.” Fiinews.com
