In order to boost the defence sector, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi inaugurated the DefExpo 2022 (12th edition), India’s “biggest ever” defence exhibition, in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, from October 18 – 22, 2022.
Click here to read Part – 1 of the DefExpo 2022.
Raksha Mantri Awards for Excellence in the Defence & Aerospace Sector for 2021-22; Data Patterns Receives RM Award
Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence (MOD) presented the ‘Raksha Mantri Awards for Excellence in the Defence & Aerospace Sector for 2021–22’ at a ceremony held in conjunction with the DefExpo 2022 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
- The award is administered by the Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA) under the Department of Defence Production (DDP), MOD.
Data Patterns (India) Limited, a Chennai (Tamil Nadu)-based provider of defence and aerospace electronics systems, received the ‘Raksha Mantri Award for Excellence for 2021-22′ from the Defence Minister.
- The award was granted for the best medium-scale industry innovation.
Key Points:
i.There were a total of 22 awards given in a variety of categories, including Indigenisation/Import substitution, Innovation/ Technological Breakthrough and Exports.
- Of these, 13 were won by private industries, and the remaining ones by DPSUs and PSUs. Winners include large, medium, small, and start-up enterprises.
ii.Currently, the aerospace and defence industry is worth around Rs. 80,000 crore, with the private sector contributing more than Rs. 17,000 crore.
Note: Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of Data Patterns (India) Limited – Srinivasagopalan Rangarajan
Measures Taken by the Indian Government to Achieve Excellence in the Defence & Aerospace Sector
i.“Srijan,” a one-stop portal for information on defence equipment required by the services was launched.
ii.“Mission Raksha Gyan Shakti” was started to encourage the development of intellectual property in the defence sector.
iii.An Intellectual Property Facilitation Cell has been formed to provide general help on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), including patents, trademarks, designs, and copyrights.
DRDO Hands Over 16 Licensing Agreements for Transfer of 10 indigenous technologies to 13 industries
During the “Bandhan” ceremony of the 12th DefExpo— ‘DefExpo22’, the Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO) handed over 16 Licensing Agreements for Transfer of Technology (LAToT) for 10 DRDO-developed technologies to 13 industries.
- The ceremony was presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Electronics, laser technology, armaments, material science, combat vehicles, naval systems, sensors, etc. are among the technologies that DRDO has transferred.
Key Points:
i.The products include Handheld Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Unexploded Ordnance Handling Robot (UXOR), Semi-Solid Metal (SSM) Processing Technology for Aluminum Alloys, High Oxidative and Thermal Stability Oil (DMS Hots Oil-I), Nuclear Shielding Pads for Combat Vehicles, 120mm Tandem Warhead System for Anti-Tank Application, High Energy Material (TNSTAD), Laser-Based End Game Fuze, Multi-kW Laser Beam Directing Optical Channel (BDOC), SHAKTI EW System.
ii.These high-tech devices will help the government’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative.
- Along with enhancing the operational capabilities of the Armed Forces, it will strengthen the defence manufacturing sector through self-reliance.
BEL Inks MoU with MIL to Address Ammunition Needs of Domestic & Export Markets
Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Munitions India Limited (MIL) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to address the needs of the Indian Defence and export markets for ammunition, explosives, and related systems.
About MEL & MIL:
i.BEL is a Navratna Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) under the MOD.
- It manufactures electronic equipment and systems for the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
- As of March 31, 2022, the Government of India (GoI) held a 51.14% share in BEL.
ii.MIL is a DPSU under the DDP, MOD.
- MIL is India’s largest manufacturer & market leader in ammunition and explosives design, development, and manufacturing.
Key Points:
i.The MoU strengthens the spirit of the ‘Make in India’ policy of the GoI and strives to make use of the complementary strengths and capabilities of BEL and MIL to achieve self-reliance in the defence sector.
ii.Together, the firms will be able to address the domestic and global prospects in the fields of explosives, ammunition, and related systems and subsystems.
BEL Signs Pact with Meslova for Developing Products, Services in AI/ML
BEL and Meslova Systems Pvt Limited, of Hyderabad (Telangana), have signed an MoU for cooperation in the areas of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI&ML) for Air Defence (AD) Systems/Platforms for the Armed Forces.
- The MoU was exchanged at Defexpo 2022 by Mr. Dinesh Kumar Batra, CMD of BEL, and Mr. K Satyaprasad, CEO of Meslova Systems Pvt. Ltd.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hosts 2nd ‘IOR+ Defence Ministers’ Conclave on the Sidelines of DefExpo 2022
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hosted the 2nd “IOR+ Defence Ministers’ Conclave” on the sidelines of DefExpo 2022 following the enormous success of the “Indian Ocean Region (IOR) Defence Ministers’ Conclave” held in February 2021.
- Theme of the conclave – “Challenges, Opportunities, and Collaborations in the Indian Ocean.”
- The conclave was organized by the DDP, MOD.
Key Points:
i.The conclave was attended by 40 countries, with 22 ministers addressing, some in hybrid format.
ii.It promoted interaction with strategic and commercial partnerships within the IOR in favour of India’s Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) initiative.
TIDCO Signs MoUs with Defence Public Sector Undertakings
At DefExpo 2022, the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) inked six MoUs with significant DPSUs like Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI), and Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL).
- Twenty Aerospace and Defence industries from Tamil Nadu presented their products in the focus area of the Tamil Nadu pavilion at DefExpo 2022.
The pavilion also emphasized the potential and strengths of the Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor (TNIDC).
- The TNIDC team organized a panel discussion on “Tamil Nadu-the global hotspot for aerospace and defence manufacturing.”
NRDC Enters Pact with HSL & Mazagon Dock for IP Services
At DefExpo 2022, the National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) inked a collaborative MOU with Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. (MDL).
Objective of the MoUs: To offer services in the area of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) by simplifying the transfer of technology that enable indigenization processes as well as filing IP.
GRSE in collaboration with IIT Kharagpur has developed an AI Enabled Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) mechanism
At DefExpo 2022, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd. (GRSE), a DPSU, showcased its cutting-edge shipbuilding technologies and a variety of maritime platforms.
- The GRSE has developed an AI Enabled Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) mechanism in partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur (West Bengal).
- It aims to update manual inspection with automated inspection through the usage of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Deep Learning.
IIT Roorkee to Get New Research Centre for Futuristic Defence Technology Requirements
A new research centre at IIT Roorkee (Uttarakhand) has been approved by the MOD, according to a seminar on ‘Atmaanirbharta in Defence R&D’ held at the DefExpo 2022, headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
- The facility at IIT Roorkee will be called the “DRDO Industry Academia-Centre of Excellence” (DIA-CoE).
Key Points:
i.This is in line with India’s mission to advance technology and achieve self-sufficiency in the defence sector.
ii.The DRDO recently signed MoU with six IITs, including IIT Roorkee.
iii.The DRDO and the Indian government will provide funds to the facility.
India’s First Indigenously Developed Drone Simulator Launched by IG Drones
IG Drones, a Delhi-based organisation, unveiled India’s first ever indigenously developed “Drone Simulator” at the Defence Expo in 2022 in an effort to empower about 10 million youth and realize the vision of making India a drone capital of the world.
- It was unveiled in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Key Points:
i.This drone simulator will save pilots from the frustration of a damaged drone by giving the most realistically simulated flying experience possible using cutting-edge technologies.
ii.CEO of IG Drones – Bodhisattwa Sanghapriya
DRDO tested 3 unmanned remote-controlled weaponized boats in Pune, ahead of DefExpo-2022
In preparation for DefExpo-2022, DRDO officials in Maharashtra tested three remotely unmanned, weaponized boats in Pune, Maharashtra. These boats were tested without any humans on board.
- The DRDO developed these boats in partnership with Sagar Defense Engineering, a private defence production start-up.
Key Points:
i.The boats will be utilized for patrols, surveillance, and maritime security reconnaissance. The boats have a four-hour endurance.
ii.The boat can currently sail at a maximum speed of 10 nautical miles per hour, which can be extended to 25 nautical miles.
iii.Some variants of these boats feature an onboard petrol engine, while others have an electric propulsion system with lithium batteries.
