Taking measures to remove obstacles: Def Secy on manufacturing industry

The government is committed to ensure quality assurance in military aviation and is taking appropriate measures to remove obstacles in indigenisation of defence manufacturing industry, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane said on Monday.

He was delivering a keynote address at a workshop on 'QA Reforms in Military Aviation for Promoting Indigenous R&D and Manufacturing', held here.

The defence secretary was the chief guest at the function organised by Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DGAQA), MoD and Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM), the defence ministry said in a statement.

He said the country is progressing in line with the Prime Minister's vision of 'Aatmnirbharata' in defence.

It is a challenge, but systems are being put in place and measures are being taken to achieve it, he said, and urged the private sector to invest more in aeronautical quality assurance research and testing.

The government is committed to ensure quality assurance in military aviation and is taking appropriate measures to remove obstacles in indigenisation of defence manufacturing industry, he was quoted as saying in the statement.

The aviation sector is a complex domain with advanced technology and critical considerations for safety and mission success. To address these risks, the global aviation industries operates under the airworthiness framework governed by state or government agencies, it said.

In India, the Technical Airworthiness Authority (TAA) consisting of DGAQA, which ensures airworthiness through quality assurance, and Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC) which ensures airworthiness of designs, provides airworthiness certification and quality assurance for all Indian aviation industries.

As part of government of India's 'Make in India' and 'Aatmnirbhar Bharat' programmes, DGAQA has been driving various initiatives to rope in maximum number of aerospace product manufactures to be prospective suppliers for Indian defence requirements and be the contributors for national defence preparedness, the statement said.

The primary objective of the workshop was to highlight the handholding initiatives undertaken by DGAQA, which facilitates the entry of Indian manufacturers into the defence aerospace manufacturing business.

Additionally, the workshop aimed to identify any further requirements of support and assistance in order to enhance the potential for indigenous manufacturing.

The workshop was attended by senior officials of the defence ministry, the Indian Air Force, Army aviation, Naval Aviation, Indian Coast Guard, DRDO labs, CEMILAC; and captains of Indian aviation industries, it added.