VC Army Staff recognises Bengaluru as key contributor in private defence business

Bengaluru, Nov 15 (KNN) Underlining Bengaluru’s position as a technology hub, Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen B S Raju said the city has the ability to play a major role in Indian defence sector’s move towards ‘indigenous modernisation’.

He was speaking at the inauguration of the Regional Technology Node - Bengaluru (RTN-B) wherein he said that India Army still has some way to go before we can call ourselves a reasonable power in the defence manufacturing space.

“Indian Army is gearing up for major modernisation in the next 10-15 years, specifically ‘indigenous modernisation’. This process will involve a large number of upgrades to our existing platforms, as well as purchase of new state-of-the-art equipment,” he said. 

To ensure full visibility of what the Army needs, he said the primary task of the Army Design Bureau is to engage and collaborate with industry and academia.

He said that there is a need to get a full understanding of what the industry is capable of, and to bring these two capabilities together to achieve what we need.

Reflecting on Bengaluru’s potential and its transformation into a hub for engineering colleges and other academic institutions, as well as for private manufacturers, he said the city also has a lot of defence sector undertakings with a strong ecosystem.  (KNN Bureau)