New Delhi, Feb 21 (KNN) India has a huge defence aerospace market including civil aerospace market and we must look at India as the design and manufacturing hub in Defence components for global needs, said Sanjay Jaju, Additional Secretary, Department of Defence Production.

He said this while addressing the virtual ‘MSME Conclave on Indigenization of Critical Defence Components – Forging Partnerships between FOEM-IOP-MSME’.

The event was organised by FICCI and Department of Defence Production, wherein Jaju said that the government has already identified the indigenized list of over 2,500 items which are not going to be imported.

“351 more items have been listed which can be indigenized and it is now an opportunity for the Indian industry to manufacture them and we are not going to stop here. By month end, we will come up with a further bigger level and this would include not just components but also LRUs which are critical for defence requirement. We will offer these LRUs to industry with procurement assurance to design and develop the products within the county,” he added.

He further stated that there is a limit to what government can do and it is not the business of the government to do business.

“We can act as an enabler and provide level playing field. Atmanirbharta means creating a healthy eco-system where the world is like one family and start looking at India as an important player in designing and manufacturing shop for global needs. It is now the time for tier 1, 2 and 3 within the defence and aerospace sector start looking at these opportunities and forge partnerships,” he emphasized.

Highlighting the potential for foreign OEMs, the additional secretary said that India has the opportunity and produce in India for the global requirements. The government has already made necessary policy changes along with the required support needed.

Arun T Ramchandani, Chairman, FICCI Defence and Aerospace Committee and EVP, Guns Missiles & Armoured Systems (GMA) BU, L&T Defence said that Indian MSMEs are capable to develop newer and hi-end critical technologies on their own as well as forthcoming to forge necessary partnerships with foreign counterparts to absorb the critical technologies.

Col HS Shankar (Retd), Member, FICCI Defence and Aerospace Committee and CMD, Alpha Design Technologies Limited and Sudhakar Gande, Co-Chair, FICCI Defence and Aerospace Committee and Non-Executive Director- AXISCADES Engineering Technologies Ltd & CEO, Jupiter Capital Private Limited also shared their perspective on the avenues in the Indian defence and aerospace sector. (KNN Bureau)