The Hindu : Minister pulls up Services for not backing indigenous equipment

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 25, 2003

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Minister pulls up Services for not backing indigenous equipment

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI NOV. 24. The Defence Minister, George Fernandes, today pulled up the three armed services for not adequately supporting indigenously-produced equipment. "Unless we do this in our country, we will not be able to market our items abroad,'' he said, speaking at the national awards presentation ceremony for indigenisation of defence stores.

The Minister said indigenously-developed items such as the advanced light helicopter were not getting adequate orders from the domestic users. In this context, he quoted the example of MBT (main battle tank), Arjun. He said all indigenously-developed defence stores should be utilised to their maximum capacity.

Mr. Fernandes said producing units too should take steps to achieve economies of scale by ascertaining the requirement of foreign buyers before producing important defence items. An expanded market could make items cost-effective. The Minister lauded the private sector's contribution to defence and urged it to explore the possibility of tie-ups to globally market defence stores and equipment.

Earlier, he gave away awards for 2000-02 with the first prize in the mechanical engineering category awarded jointly to Chaturvedi Tools & Equipment, Bangalore, and Dass Hitachi. Chaturvedi Tools got the award for indigenisation of the slotted waveguide array antenna which is used in most of the tactical aircraft radars and missile systems. The second prize went to Sec Industries, Hyderabad, for indigenously manufactured airframe sections of Prithvi Missiles, utilising contour stretch forming technology.

In the electrical and electronic engineering category the first prize went to the Design Centre for Electronic Systems, Kolkata, for developing and assembling the time code generator, a complex and high technology item which has applications in operation of radars, electro optical tracking system, telemetry system and communication control during flight-testing and validation of range equipment.

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