The Director General of the Indian Army’s Electronic and Mechanical Engineering Corps (DG-EME), Lt Gen J. Sidana, visited strategically important army installations in Pune today and received briefings on various aspects related to repairing and maintaining the army’s important weapon platforms. Lt. Gen Sidana also inspected the maintenance process of multiple platforms and shared his expertise with the officers and engineers of the base workshop.
As part of the official trip, he visited two prominent workshops – the Khadaki-based 512 Army Base Workshop and the Engineer Static Workshop. These workshops are highly regarded by the Indian Army as they involve restoring and rebuilding weapon platforms, which helps to keep them combat-ready. The Army considers these workshops to be a strategic national asset. While there, the DG-EME had the chance to interact with engineers and officers and commended them for their efforts to ensure national security. He encouraged them to continue striving for excellence and spoke about the importance of technology absorption in the coming year.
Lt Gen J S Sidana, AVSM, DG EME & Sr Col Comdt visited 512 Army Base Workshop and Engr Static Workshop.Flagship workshops of Indian Army # Strategic National assets # Re-engineering and rebuilding Weapon platforms through restoration and recapitalisation.# Combat Enablers for… pic.twitter.com/mXSfVKXG9n
— Southern Command INDIAN ARMY (@IaSouthern) May 4, 2024
As part of his itinerary, the DG-EME visited private defence production units in Pune. One of his stops was at Bharat Forge, a leading private defence major known for its indigenous solutions. During the visit, he was given a tour of their impressive facility, where he witnessed first-hand the entire process of design, integration, and testing of defence solutions. The visit also included discussions on future projects and initiatives. The DG-EME praised Bharat Forge for its pivotal role in the success of indigenous weapon development programs, such as the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS). The Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) is a 155 mm/52 calibre howitzer being developed for the Indian Army, with Bharat Forge playing a significant part in its development. The Ministry of Defence will likely order 307 ATAGS howitzers in the coming months. These weapons will be deployed along the India-China and India-Pakistan borders. The Indian Army has expressed a requirement for 307 ATAGS guns, a project Bharat Forge is jointly developing with Tata Group.
Furthermore, senior officials briefed him on different research, development, and production aspects.
Vinay Chati, Pune
