38 of 40 vessels, under construction, are with Indian Shipyards, says ENC chief

A missile technology conclave-cum-symposium themed ‘Atmanirbharta in Missile Repairs and Indigenisation Technologies (AMRIT-2022)’, was organised by the Indian Navy, in collaboration with AP Electronics and IT Agency (APEITA), here on Friday.

Minister for Industries and IT Gudivada Amarnath participated as the chief guest while Vice- Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command (ENC), was the guest of honour.

Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan delivered a special address through the virtual mode.

In his inaugural address, Vice-Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta said that Indian Navy’s modernisation plan, of new generation ships, submarines and aircraft, focusses on indigenisation. He added that 38 of 40 vessels, under construction, were with Indian Shipyards.

He added that a large number of the Navy’s weapons and sensors were presently of foreign origin and there was an urgent need to develop completely indigenised weapon systems for greater self-reliance and also to support these systems throughout their lifecycle. He urged all the stakeholders and participants in the symposium to collectively steer the nation towards Atmanirbharta in missile technology.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Amarnath complimented the Eastern Naval Command and APEITA for the initiative that seeks to bring together the Indian Navy with all the stakeholders, policymakers, academicians and corporate heads in promoting indigenisation through the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative of the Union government. The Defence sector has been identified as one of the key sectors focussing on establishing state-of the art infrastructure and for providing regulatory environment conducive for investors, fostering innovation, promoting skill development and for creating employment opportunities by the State government.

The Academia partners from Andhra University and National Research & Development Corporation (NRDC) actively engaged in the discussions and have assured widening their research in the niche domain of missile technology. Exhibition stalls were also set-up, wherein the participating agencies and firms showcased their technical expertise and capabilities in the field of Missile Repairs and Indigenisation.

The symposium had very good response from a large number of participating agencies from Indian Navy, DRDO, PSUs, DPSUs, Indian Private Defence industry, MSMEs/ Start-ups, representatives from State government and national agencies involved in indigenisation such as Technology Development Fund (TDF) of DRDO, Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and Innovation for Defence Excellence (IDEX).