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SOURCE: IDRW.ORG

Sukaran Singh, CEO and Managing Director of Tata Advanced Systems Ltd., recently shared critical insights at the Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS), emphasizing the need for a deeper strategic approach to India’s aerospace and defense ecosystem. Speaking candidly, Singh highlighted the achievements and shortcomings of initiatives like “Make in India” and “Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” stressing the importance of strategic control and proactive policy support to drive innovation and self-reliance in defense technologies.

Singh outlined the primary objectives of “Make in India,” noting the initiative’s potential to create jobs by transferring manufacturing activities to India. However, he argued that the broader aim should go beyond employment generation to achieving strategic control over key technologies. He emphasized the importance of self-sufficiency in developing and exporting advanced defense platforms, which would reduce dependencies on external actors and secure India’s strategic autonomy.

Singh was forthright about the challenges facing India’s defense manufacturing sector:

  1. Policy Gaps in R&D Incentives: Private companies, including Tata, lack incentives to invest in research and development. Without assurance of a clear path forward for innovative products, private capital is hesitant to take risks. Singh highlighted the absence of mechanisms to integrate privately developed technologies into military programs efficiently.
  2. Bureaucratic and Procedural Hurdles: The current acquisition processes, including mechanisms like “Make 1,” “Make 2,” and “Buy Indian (IDDM),” often fail to expedite projects. Singh pointed out the limited number of successful projects under these frameworks and questioned whether their scale and depth meet India’s strategic needs.
  3. Incremental Progress vs. Urgent Requirements: Despite initiatives like iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) and Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Singh argued that India’s progress remains incremental, whereas the regional and geopolitical environment demands transformative advancements.

Singh proposed several measures to address the systemic gaps:

  1. Defining Clear Objectives: Policies must prioritize the development and control of indigenous technologies that can evolve over generations and contribute to exports.
  2. Streamlining Acquisition Processes: The government should create fast-track mechanisms to incorporate privately developed technologies into military programs, ensuring first-mover advantages for private firms.
  3. Encouraging Risk Capital: Proactive support and incentives are essential to encourage private sector investment in high-risk, high-reward R&D projects.
  4. Benchmarking Progress: Rather than celebrating incremental progress, India should measure its achievements against its strategic needs and the advancements of regional competitors.

Singh concluded with a stark observation: while India has made strides in policy frameworks, the pace of change is insufficient given the challenges posed by its geopolitical environment. He urged stakeholders to move beyond incrementalism and aim for transformational progress in defense and aerospace capabilities.

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