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The Platform for Indian Defence Industry
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF'S NOTE
Dear Reader:
It's been a while since we last sent our newsletter to you. Among the important events that have gone past in-between was the DefExpo - 2018 at Chennai. I must admit, I found the event much better organised at Chennai as compared to the previous edition at Goa. Our run-up to the DefExpo started with the interviews of the Naval Chief and the Air Chief. We undertook a host of activities at the DefExpo, notable among them being our conduct of a seminar in partnership with IIT Chennai. We also undertook a series of interviews, primarily with MSME players. Details on both issues are given beneath.
As far as international events of consequence are concerned, possibly the one that had the most eye balls glued was the Modi - Xi Jinping meet at Wuhan, China. Hopefully, we will witness a less aggressive China in the months ahead. They have already started sharing data on flow of rivers. The two leaders have met again on the sidelines of BRICS summit, and the Chinese leader has confirmed his visit to Indian for a similar summit next year.
Simultaneous with meeting the Chinese President, we are also carrying on with our engagements with US. The Malabar naval exercise is on with US and the Japanese Navy also participating. The Australians were not included in spite of their being keen about it. However, we will be participating in the Australian Air Force's Exercise Pitch Black in July, 2018.
The PM also addressed the Shangri-La Dialogue. His message was quite clear. India is looking at a multi-polar world. He also underscored the necessity of peace in Asia for progress of the continent. He talked about the Indo- Pacific region too. The renaming of PACOM as Indo-Pacific is definitely an endorsement recognising India as a prime player in this region.
Our Editor-in-Chief Nitin Gokhale attended the conclave. His observations have been published by us and can be accessed at: India Bats for Open and Inclusive Indo-Pacific
Meanwhile we continued with our negotiations for the S 400 Russian air defence system. The Americans are not keen about our procuring the Russian system. We could be within the ambit of certain American sanctions if we opt for S 400. Along with us are countries like Saudi Arabia and UAE. Also at stake are the fitment of Meteor missiles on Rafale and some other aircrafts.
This newsletter also provides you the link to certain very pertinent issues on which our contributors have written. Some of these are a must for professionals in the defence field. A few of these are appended beneath.
I would also request you to visit our Issue Briefs pages. We have started gathering material that would give you a balanced view on contemporary issues of concern.
We have changed the layout of our website. It looks smarter and is more user-friendly. Do spare a moment and ponder over the changes. Please feel free to communicate your ideas on the new layout.
That's all from my table today. Do make BharatShakti.in a habit.
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IITM-BSI Seminar
Brig. S K Chatterji (Retd)
Simultaneous with day long schedules of visits by VIPs, delegations, B2B meetings, equipment demonstration, press briefings and a host of related activities, the DefExpo 2018 also hosted a bouquet of seminars. One of the imperatives of achieving Make in India is advancing our technological progress in defence hard and software. It's an area where our research institutions and premium academic campuses have much to contribute. IIT Madras (IITM) and Bharatshakti.in joined hands to stage a seminar: Perspective on Technologies for Armed Forces.
IITM fielded several professors who briefed the audience on various fields of interest to the defence forces, such as: AI and its Impact on Battlefield, Infrastructure Technology for Border Areas, Energy for Armed Forces, Space based Surveillance, Enhancing the Battlefield Space, Security of Communications for the Armed Forces. Read More...
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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS - DEFEXPO 2018
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BharatShakti.in published a series of interviews for our readers in the run-up to the DEFEXPO 2018 that we covered from Ground Zero at Chennai.
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Boeing Ready with Long-Term Plans for India: Pratyush Kumar, President, Boeing India
Nitin A Gokhale
Boeing has a long history of association with the Indian armed forces and the aerospace industry. The latest major contracts that Boeing has bagged in India include the AH 64 Apaches and CH 47 Chinook helicopters. Tata - Boeing joint venture has also progressed commendably.
Nitin A Gokhale, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of BharatShakti.in interviewed Pratyush Kumar President, Boeing India to get an insight into the company's plans in India.
Read More...
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MBDA's long-term strategy has always been one of partnership with India: Loïc Piedevache, Country Head - India, MBDA
Nitin A Gokhale
MBDA's association with India goes back to over five decades. A fairly large variety of its missiles are already in the inventory of the Indian Armed Forces. Their joint venture with L&T promises to field the ATGM5, a fifth generation truly IDDM anti-tank missile, with next generation technologies being transferred to the Indians.
Nitin A Gokhale, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of BharatShakti.in interviewed Loïc Piedevache, Country Head - India, MBDA to get the answers to a few questions about MBDA's plans ahead in India.
Read More... |
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Chief of the Naval staff Admiral Sunil Lanba in conversation with Nitin A Gokhale
Nitin A Gokhale
Indian Navy Chief, Adm. Sunil Lanba, in an exclusive interview with Bharatshakti.in, has dispelled fears about India's primacy in the Indian Ocean being challenged. India continues to be the largest navy in the IOR and in association with other like-minded nations it ensures freedom of navigation and will remain the net security provider in the area, he told our Editor-in-Chief Nitin A. Gokhale. Read More... |
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Rafale Provides the IAF Strategic Deterrence Against Our Adversaries: Air Chief
Nitin A Gokhale
The Indian Air force has recently gone in for another 83 LCA Mk 2. The RFI for a hundred more fighter aircraft with no restrictions on their being single or twin engine is also expected any moment. The Air Force is also looking at enhancing its mid-air refuelling capabilities as also surveillance through AWACS. However, is the pace of modernisation/ inductions adequate? The IAF is already down in its squadron strength and its fleet of even the Jaguars, Mirages and MiG 29 are undergoing major upgrades.
Nitin A Gokhale (NG) Founder, Bharatshakti.in interviewed Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa, Chief of Air Staff (CAS) to find the answers to a wide range of issues.
Read More... |
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SOME OF OUR ANALYTICAL PIECES
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Ceasefire in J&K
Lt Gen Sanjay Kulkarni (Retd)
Lt Gen Sanjay Kulkarni (Retd) has also written on the futility of ceasefires in J&K Read More...
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Modi-Xi Summit
Parul Chandra
Parul Chandra says that though, "the two sides appear to have set aside their differences for the time being and are seeking to look at the 'positives' instead in the bilateral relationship, there is no gainsaying the fact that New Delhi will need to remain wary of Beijing's geostrategic ambitions". You can read her piece here: Good Start But India Needs its Guard Up |
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Defence Planning Committee
The formation of Defence Planning Committee (DPC) under the chairmanship of National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval, reported by the media last week has naturally evoked a mix response among commentators and strategic experts. Some have predictably slammed the move, calling it an attempt to stymie appointment of a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) for the three services; others think the new body is just a stop gap arrangement to bring in better coordination among various arms of the government to revitalise the defence sector. Both opposing viewpoints miss the wood for the trees. A few pieces that we have published will give you a balanced view:-
Nitin Gokhale argues that it's major step forward in his article: India's National Security Architecture Set for a Revamp,
Our esteemed contributors have also opined on the DPC. Rear Admiral Sudarshan Shrikhande (Retd), has provided a fresh analysis of the DPC, and explained why a whole of ship approach may be the key to future-readiness in many dimensions. You can read his article at The Defence Planning Committee: 'A Whole of Ship' Approach for The Ship- Of- State
Vice Admiral Suresh Bangara (Retd), who was the first Deputy Chief (Operations) of HQ Integrated Defence Staff, has relied on his experience to evaluate the pros and cons of DPC. Read More... |
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Defence Procurement Procedures
Lt Gen PR Shankar (Retired)
Gen P R Shankar (Retd) has explored the weaknesses of the system that remain largely unaddressed, leading to reforms in defence procurement procedures not having the desired effect. He also states that the government is quite aware of these weaknesses. Read More... |
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Deepening Crisis in Maldives
Abhishek Pratap Singh
The issues in Maldives do not seem to be progressing as would be expected in most democracies. President Yameen has done little beyond doing away with the emergency that he had declared. There are no tangible efforts by him to engage with the opposition and find a path out of the imbroglio. Meanwhile, the Chinese seem to be making the best use of the circumstances and establishing its presence on more than just one island. The author analyses the issues involved and examines the options that Indians may exercise. Read More... |
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Big Time Changes in the Production Policy Can Wait
Amit Cowshish
During the current government's tenure, we have witnessed extensive efforts at streamlining defence procurement procedures. DPP 2016 has been flowed by the Strategic Partnership chapter. We have also got a new Make Procedure. Further, a draft Defence Production Policy has also been worked out. However, the deliverables at the production lines have been elusive. The author analyses the problems and opines in favour of ordering a few big ticket contracts for the process of change to transform into actual production of much needed high value equipment. Read More... |
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India and the Nordics - An Innovative Partnership
Ambassador Anil Trigunayat
Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Indo - Nordic Summit in April 2018 rejuvenating relationships that hold out the promise of extensive co-operation between India and these countries. The author gives the details of India's relations with these countries and the various areas that the participants decided to pursue. There are huge areas of mutual benefits that the visit throws open for pursuance. Read More... |
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India: Path to Become a Defence Exporter
Maj Gen P K Chakravorty (Retd)
Our dependence on imports for the defence sector has been rising and it calls for concerted action should we attempt the twin objectives of indigenisation and creating a substantial export market. The author analyses the current status and recommends certain new structures to give a boost to exports. Read More... |
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Planning for Capability Building
Lt Gen KJ Singh (Retired)
Our defence planning has not been a top priority of our governments. There is no co-relationship between defence planning and allocation of finances. Various committees in the hierarchy, to include the CCPA and CCS have not clarified the military's tasks which should have led to the forces evolving their manpower and equipment requirement. The author's article makes some compelling arguments, essential for ensuring national security. Read More... |
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Why Do Nations Fall Into The Chinese Debt Trap?
Maj Gen Harsha Kakar (Retd)
There are several nations which are falling into the Chinese debt trap. In some cases, it is involvement with faulty projects with Chinese funding, while in others it is a case of being unable to clear loans linked to the Belt Road Initiative (BRI). Some of these nations are being compelled to part with strategic assets as they are unable to clear their dues. As the BRI expands, more nations are likely to follow suit. In India's vicinity it's Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Pakistan and the Maldives. Read More... |
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Why Helicopter Simulators are Becoming Essential?
Lt Gen BS Pawar (Retired)
Training on simulators is becoming more and more essential with the cost of the equipment rising steeply. In the case of helicopter pilots the training is extensive and calls for substantial number of hours on the aircrafts. The advantage of simulator training is it reduces the flying hours consumed of the helicopters, which is inevitably related to its maintenance also; again a costly proposition. The author discusses the use of helicopter training simulators that are available today and are sophisticated enough to make a serious dent in training costs. Read More... |
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SOME OF OUR EXCLUSIVE PIECES
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India-Seychelles Committed to Assomption Island Project But 2018 Pact Not Going Forward: Barry Faure, Foreign Secy., Seychelles
Nitin A Gokhale
Of late India has stepped up its Indian Ocean engagement by entering into various agreements with smaller but strategically located island nations in the IOR. These nations include Mauritius, Sychelles, Oman to name just three. A pact to build a common facility at Assomption Island in Seychelles, signed in 2015 and then amended early this year has however run into a roadblock thanks to the refusal of the Opposition party in Seychelles to ratify it. So what happens next? Barry Faure, Secretary of State in the Seychelles Department of Foreign Affairs provides some answers in an exclusive interview to our Editor-in-Chief Nitin A. Gokhale. Read More... |
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A Gift of Heritage - The Dakota DC 3 VP 905 Parashurama is Inducted into the Indian Air force's Vintage Flight
Shivani Sharma Dasmahapatra
The fully restored Dakota DC-3 gifted to the Indian Air Force by Member of Parliament Rajeev Chandrasekhar on behalf of his father Air Commodore M K Chandrasekhar (Retd) VM, VSM, on 13 February 18, was formally inducted into the IAF Vintage Flight on 4 May 2018 in a grand ceremony at Air Force Station Hindan. The induction ceremony was attended by over 200 Air Force veterans who relived their memories of having flow the Dakota and as many serving Air Force personnel. Also present were senior functionaries of the MoD and diplomats from the High Commission of the UK. Read More... |
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India's Engagement with Indonesia: The 'Breakout' Nation
Commander Subhasish Sarangi
As India seeks to augment its eastern engagement as part of its 'Act East' policy, Indonesia is a natural ally to be sought for the cause by virtue of its geographical location, size and leadership role in ASEAN. It is a prospect that has been flagged by discerning commentators in the past. Read More... |
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At BharatShakti.in, our RFI/RFP pages attempt to inform you of business opportunities. While the Industry Capabilities listing page gives you details of various IDIs, their product range, niche capabilities and contact information, thus easing your search for the right partner for your business activities. Our Policy page is a repository of knowledge, hosting relevant government and departmental documents required for transacting in the area defence production. It also devotes space to FAQs on defence procurement that would be updated.
We at BharatShakti.in invite you all to be a part of our team. Do visit our pages regularly. Write to us, list your defence capabilities with us and engage with us. It's BharatShakti's faith and belief that the Indian Defence Industry is capable of addressing most of the requirements of Indian Armed Forces. |
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