MSMEs Have A Big Role To Play In Make In India Mission: ENC Chief

Visakhapatnam: MSMEs have a key role to play in the indigenisation of the country's defence as part of Make in India Mission, said Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, East-ern Naval Command, while underlying the need for developing a strong ecosystem.

He was delivering the keynote address at the Regional Defence MSME Conclave with the theme 'harnessing innovation for marine applications in maintenance, repairs and upgrade,' here on Monday.

The conclave was organised by the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) in associa-tion with Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL), Ministry of Defence, Department of Defence Production, Government of India and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

The ENC chief in his address spoke on encouraging R&D by increasing funding and recognising merit through awards and certification for inculcating healthy competition, knowledge sharing through collaborations and optimum use of advanced technologies like AI, IoT and robotics and prioritising upskilling and innovation.

Calling for global benchmarking, Vice Admiral Pendharkar said with the use of AI and IoT, the role of predictive maintenance has increased manifold. He said robotics is of utmost importance for underwater inspections and cost reduction, he said more focus is being laid on digitisation, sustainability and green technologies and evolving integrated solutions. He cited how the construction of INS Vikrant engaged 500 MSMEs providing jobs to 12,000 from ancillary industries and several shipyard employees. INS Vikrant is the largest ship ever built in the maritime history of India.

Experts from shipping, defence and related domains referred to the significant growth of the Indian Defence Industry, which they pointed out relies heavily on MSMEs, as they serve as the backbone of industrial supply chains. Many MSMEs are actively engaged as tiered partners with government entities and OEMs, contributing significantly to the “Make in India.” CII stated that Andhra Pradesh with its strategic location and key institutions like the Eastern Naval Command, DRDO’s Naval Science & Technology Laboratory and HSL offers vast opportunities for MSMEs in defence manufacturing.

With Andhra Pradesh Government on the verge of announcing a Comprehensive Defence Policy, this conclave serves as a timely opportunity to align regional defence initiatives with national objectives.

Painting a rosy picture on the growth of maritime industry in Visakhapatnam, which is home to several strategic defence organisations, HSL Chairman and Managing Director Cmde Hemant Khatri said the city is poised to become a prominent shipping hub in future and described how the MSMEs have a big role to play by improving quality of their products and services through technological advancements. With the bagging of the prestigious construction of five Fleet Support Ships, the order book of HSL has crossed Rs20,000 crore.

The CMD said to create an USP and earn the reputation for submarine retrofitting and refittings and foray into construction of various types of vessels like cruise ships, dredgers, LNG and bulk carriers both from India and overseas clients, the industry need to have a strong vendor base locally with ancillary and downstream industries and availability of skilled manpower in welding, fabrication etc.