Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal R K Sharma said here on Wednesday that the Indian Air Force is seeking a response from Indian industry to manufacture planes, including Avro, P-7 trainer aircraft, weapon systems, electronic warfare systems and rotor blades.
"The Indian Air Force is a stake holder in a vibrant and thriving aerospace sector and is committed to its growth. Sustained demand from the Indian Air Force and industry friendly policies are the two important drivers to make Indian aerospace industry a success story," said Air Marshal Sharma while speaking in the ninth International Conference on Energizing Indian Aerospace Industry jointly organized by CII, Indian Air Force and Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS).
He also emphasized on public private partnership, joint venture formation and better mechanisms to absorb technology.
Chairman of CII National Committee on Aerospace and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Dr R K Tyagi said, "It is important to exploit FDI and Joint Venture opportunities for development of indigenous industry in India's defence and aerospace sector. Also, our industry must have greater say in selecting technologies for future platform developments and our offset focus should be on acquisition of cutting edge technology."
Director General of the Centre for Air Power Studies Air Marshal Vinod Patney (Retired) said that India is the largest importer of defence equipment.
To reverse this trend, the government has taken several initiatives to ensure a win-win situation for all the stakeholders.
