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Aerospace skilling

Defence JVs without indigenous design pointless

For over a decade now, India has shopped all around the world looking for deals for more than US$1 billion worth of helicopters to replace around 200 of its military’s ageing light-utility aircraft.

But in August, Modi’s nationalist government surprised many when it abruptly scrapped the request for global bids to buy the helicopters in favour of manufacturing them in India instead.

In recent months, India has tossed down two more proposals for buying transport aircraft and submarines deciding to indigenise them. It’s part of a push by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to foster a domestic arms industry.

India is one of the world’s largest buyer of weapons, accounting for 14 per cent of global imports, three times as many as China.

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An Akash missile, made by India, is test fired in Orissa. Photo: EPA

Over the next seven years, India is likely to spend more than US$130 billion importing arms, officials say, to upgrade its understocked, Soviet-era arsenal. Modi wants to upend India’s arms-importer tag and turn the country into not only a defence manufacturer but also a major weapons exporter, much like China has become. “Becoming a defence exporter is a noble aspiration but it will take a lot of doing,” said Arun Prakash, a retired navy chief. Admiral. But does that not mean “We aren’t hard working and not capable of it?” Every MSME owner works hard all day and night.

It’s only the PSUs and the Govt. bureaucrats that take things easy and if all the powers of sanction and decision making is in their hands, nobody can work hard and no results can be produced.

The decision to build replacements in India for the Cheetah and Chetak helicopters using JVs in the Private sector, is indeed a good decision. But it must be ensured that the Indian Pvt. Player does not do the same mistakes as HAL in blindly manufacturing just the shell and importing all the contents of the shell. There must be a sincere and genuine effort to indigenise most, if not all, the equipment. And the indigenisation must begin from day 1 of the JV formation.

As far as exports are concerned, I think our primary focus for the next 5 years should be to become self-reliant and meet our own requirements. Exports with then automatically follow.

26 or 49% – Foreign cos. will always want all the controls and will never let us get any modern technology. In my view, ‘hard work and indigenous DESIGN’ is the only way to go.

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Karnataka MSMEs to Capture 20% of the USD 400 Billion Opportunity in Electronics Manufacturing Sector by 2020

Bangalore’s Electronics City MSME cluster receives Rs 120 million from  Central and State governments to design and develop electronic products Monitoring the growing annual demand across India from the current USD 71 billion to USD 400 billion by 2020 in the Electronics Systems Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) sector, a cluster formed by Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) from Electronics City, Bangalore is aiming to cater to at least USD 80 billion of this domestic demand over the next six years.

This newly formed cluster in Bangalore’s Electronics City has raised Rs 140 million from both central and state governments as well as its own members, to support start-ups and SMEs to design, test and develop electronic products.  The state government has sanctioned additional funds to boost the growth of the industry and address the prevailing challenges. At present, hurdles faced by the industry ranging from power and water shortage, lack of R&D and testing facilities, bad road conditions to hindrances at check posts are contributing to an unfavorable ecosystem which the state government is likely to address.

Speaking while inaugurating the ELCIA EXPO, Sri. S R Patil, Minister of IT, BT and ST, Government of Karnataka, conveyed, “MSMEs are a crucial segment in the manufacturing landscape of the state and have significantly contributed to Karnataka’s economic growth. If the ESDM sector in Karnataka is equipped to capture even 10% of the total domestic market of US$ 400 billion, it would be an achievement in itself.”

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“The Government of Karnataka has augmented the number of incentives to home-grown companies to enter into electronics manufacturing, particularly in electronics hardware, aerospace and defence sectors by leveraging the growing talent. Nevertheless, focus should certainly be on R & D, innovation, collaboration and partnerships at all levels.” he added.

With the Government of India’s strong emphasis on promoting Indigenization and opening up of the defence segment to FDI at 49%, Indian MSME segment will be playing a critical role in the entire supply chain for the Aerospace and Defence sector (A & D sector).

Echoing on the developments in the ESDM sector, G. Raj Narayan, President, ELCIA Cluster and CEO, Radel Advanced Technology Pvt. Ltd. said, “India has a vast pool of quality scientists and engineers, which is predominantly leveraged by the growing number of multinational OEMs who have set up their engineering and design centres here. Indian MSME’s in the A & D sector are now offering tremendous opportunities for such talent to develop in all fronts and in the process empower India as well.”

Electronic clusters and Industry bodies are increasing playing a vital role in setting up and sustaining an ecosystem that is critical for the electronics industry’s growth.

The original article appeared on ThisWeekBangalore.

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Bangalore-based Electronic Cluster Raises Rs 14 Crore

 A new cluster in Bangalore’s Electronic City has raised Rs 14 crore from the central and state governments to help start-ups and small enterprises design, test and develop electronic devices.

The electronic manufacturing cluster has received Rs 10 crore from the central government and Rs 2 crore each from its 25-odd member-companies and the state government.

Spread over 30,000 square feet, the common facilities will include equipment to test products for their tolerance in temperature and humidity, and will be made available to the member-companies at a discounted price.

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“The facilities will be up and running in December. We will see a much faster turnaround of products,” said Raj Narayan, president of the micro, small and medium enterprises cluster.

That is because prior to this, small enterprises had to go to government funded labs like Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE) at Defence Research & Development Organization and private institutions like Wipro and L&T to test their devices, said Narayan. “It used to be very difficult. It’s prohibitively expensive in private companies and in government ones, we used to get time slots only after a week or two,” said Narayan, who also heads Radel Advanced Technologies.

The original article appeared on EconomicTimes.