The Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pande, visited the Maharashtra MSME Defence Expo 2024 on 26th February, held at the International Exhibition Convention Centre in Pune.
The three-day event aimed at promoting Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and other private companies. The event also had representation from DRDO and DPSUs, aiming to advance India’s defence industrial base.
The State of Maharashtra is one of the prominent contributors to the nation’s defence production exceeding 20 per cent in aircraft, ships, and boats, along with 30 per cent in weapons and ammunition. It was one of the first states to frame a defence manufacturing policy in the country, stated General Pande. The state also has a ‘Package Scheme of Incentives’ for the development of the Aerospace and Defence.
The state can bring a strategic focus on developing the private defence sector in the country as it was also the first to address private investments after defence reforms in the early 2000s.
In his speech, General Pande stated that the Indian army has been utilising the MSMEs, and developing the Start-up ecosystem of the country.
He also spoke about the Innovations in Defence Excellence (iDEX) route which currently is nurturing 55 projects for the Indian army. The iDEX route also has a special model called as’ Spiral Mode of Development’ for the development of indigenous technology and platforms.
Currently, the Indian army has its own in-house Ideas & Innovation initiative which has shared two products VIDYUT RAKSHAK – an Internet of Things (IoT) based generator protection system and a biomedical device.
Till now the Indian army has filed 66 Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) for its products in collaboration with the industry.
In addition, the Indian army also displayed some of its weapons and systems at the Expo such as the Tank T-90, Dhanush Howitzer, K-9 Vajra, Pinaka Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher, Sarvatra Bridge System, and Fly Catcher Radar of Army Air Defence, along with other hand-held weapons and other equipment.
Nitish Chavan
