New Delhi, Apr 13 (KNN) In a bid to encourage the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in defence sector, Chief of the Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat, said that the army could consider opening up the workshops and access to equipment to enable MSMEs develop solutions.

Rawat made the remarks during a session titled ‘Defence Industrial Corridors: Unleashing the Start-ups and MSMEs Ecosystem’ organized during the DefExpo 2018.

He further said that the Army would take up solutions provided by MSMEs as a follow up to the identification of problem statements.

He encouraged Indian MSMEs to support the Armed Forces with successful solutions to the identified 132 problems, and told the MSMEs that even if they are able to provide 60-70% solutions to the problems, the Army will be ready to provide further handholding in the effort towards encouraging indigenization of arms, weapons and ammunitions.

General Rawat said that steps to encourage knowledge management in various Commands have been initiated so that the solutions provided by MSMEs could be disseminated among the different divisions of the Army. In addition, he mentioned that the upcoming defence corridors in the country can bring foreign as well as domestic investments and this could support the development of MSMEs and indigenization of defence products.

Also during the session, Kavitha Dutt, Co-Chair, FICCI Tamil Nadu State Council & Joint Managing Director, The KCP Ltd. said that recent announcements of the defence industrial corridors to be developed in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh is a testimonial to the Government’s commitment to develop a strong and thriving defence & aerospace industry in the country, with a significant contribution from start-ups and MSMEs. (KNN/DA)