#PlaneCarnival: Make in India will change A&D sector in India: Dr Saraswat

By Dr Anantha Krishnan M

https://twitter.com/writetake

Bengaluru, Feb 17: Dr V K Saraswat, NITI Ayog member said on Tuesday that the Make in India initiative being piloted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will ring in revolutionary changes to the aerospace and defence industry in the country.

In an exclusive interview to OneIndia, Dr Saraswat said that the Make in India campaign should become technology-intense as it picks up momentum. "I would like to see the process moving from design, development and Make in India (D2MI2) in a systematic manner. We have been lagging behind technology from time immemorial. Since we have a technology gap, the only way to accelerate the process is through collaborating with good partners who are willing to work with us on the D2MI2model," said Dr Saraswat, who arrived in Bengaluru for the Aero India 2015.

Full report on OneIndia, here: http://bit.ly/1FZoywW

OneIndia Aero India Photo gallery, here:  http://bit.ly/1yU4ma2

DRDO chief wants augmented production lines in HAL, BDL

By Anantha Krishnan M

Express News Service

Hyderabad: Hit by the guided and unguided ‘missiles’ often fired by the media, Services and the government for not delivering products on time, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief Dr V K Saraswat on Saturday asked Indian aerospace industries to adopt today’s science, to absorb tomorrow’s technology. He was speaking at the inaugural session of the International Conference and Exhibition on Regional Transport Aircraft (RTA), organised by the Aeronautical Society of India, Hyderabad Chapter, at the sprawling Taramati Baradari, near Golconda Fort in Hyderabad.

Sighting examples of the recent hiccups in the LR-SAM (Long Range-Surface to Air Missile) and MR-SAM (Medium Range-Surface to Air Missile) programmes, Saraswat asked the defence fraternity to share their strengths. “We ran into problems with propulsion system, especially in areas of combustion and stability of LR-SAM and MR-SAM, being jointly developed with Israeli Aerospace Industries. Understanding these technologies and development of propulsion systems can be done in a better way, if the academic institutions, private industries, space agencies, DRDO, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and others join hands,” he said.

Not mincing any words on HAL, Saraswat said that the company must augment the production facilities for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) -- Tejas. “Today HAL has 3^rd generation production lines and we need modern ones to replace it. Tejas is a 4^th generation aircraft and if have the vision of exporting this aircraft one day, then rolling out quality aircraft is the key. The problems Tejas faced are all related to auxiliary systems, be it the fuels lines or lightening arrester. Tejas Mk-II will be the future mainstay and we need to address quality concerns at the earliest,” Saraswat said.

Next on the DRDO chief’s radar was Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL), which is the workhorse production centre for various missiles in India. “Even BDL must upgrade missile integration facilities. We have today Rs 30,000 crores of Akash missile production. We are expecting more orders. One BDL is just not enough to meet our demands,” he said.

With a total missile production order worth around Rs 90,000 crore, the DRDO chief said that Indian defence sector can’t keep quiet. “We need to change and raise the level of performance. We cannot continue in the same manner as far the defence equipment goes. We should not treat private industry as outsiders; instead we should bring them together,” he said.

He said new programmes worth 80,000 cr are under various stages of development in DRDO, including underwater systems, Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), Anti-Radiation Missile and Ballistic Missile (BMD). “As a nation, we need more patterns in design. We need an agency that take everything at one go. Today, we have a poor design base with us and we need to look at it seriously. There are many gaps in engine technology, including in the field of materials. We don’t have a facility to test, evaluate and integrate engines. If this tendency continues, we will continue to import engines,” Saraswat said.

Copyright@The New Indian Express

Saraswat fires a guided missile | Says one HAL & ADA won't be enough to propel aerospace growth | Wonders why industries not joining the sky party

Dr V K Saraswat

By Anantha Krishnan M

Express News Service

Bangalore: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief V K Saraswat fired a 'guided and guarded missile' during the opening of the Aero India Seminar in Bangalore on Monday. “If the Indian Aerospace industry has to grow then one HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd) and ADA (Aeronautical Development Agency) is not enough. Private industries should step in a big way to propel the growth of aerospace. I have been hearing for many years that the private players are coming in a big way, but I am yet to see them marching in,” the missile expert said.

He said along with the industry, the academic institutions should join hands to grab the opportunities the defence sector is offering. “We are willing to work with anyone with a participation and equal-level mindset. The future technologies need indigenous support in a big way and I hope the private players rise to the occasion,” Saraswat said.

Interestingly, Saraswat's speech had multiple mention of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme, till recently kept under wraps. It was evident that the DRDO will use Aero India to put spotlight on AMCA, which is currently maturing at ADA. “We have Rs 80,000 crore worth of our own programmes running in India, including AMCA, UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), and UCAVs (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles). The AMCA need special stealth material, radar-observing structures , paints and many more. The opportunities are huge,” Saraswat said. 

Later, speaking to Express, the DRDO chief said that he couldn't figure out as to why the Indian private industry is still not inspired by the aerospace activities. “Possibly the profitability and concerns of immediate returns. If the Indian aerospace activities need to catch-up with the lost time and opportunities, the private industries must join hands with us. The AMCA and FGFA (Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft) need next-generation systems. Today our missiles programme are 80 per cent ingenious and we would want the same or more to be achieved in the aerospace programmes as well,” Saraswat said. 

Reacting to Express' queries based on Saraswat's call to the industry, Col (retd) H S Shankar, former BEL Director (R&D) and now CMD of Alpha Design Technologies Pvt Ltd, a private firm supporting India's defence programmes, agreed that major industries are yet to take a plunge into defence programmes in a big way. “But, that's not the case with SMEs (small and medium enterprises) and MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises). We have been playing an active role in various DRDO projects,” Col (retd) Shankar said. 

Echoing similar sentiments was R Ramachandra Rao, CEO, Merlinhawk Aerospace Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore, who felt that the SMEs have supported the Indian aviation industry for well over three decades, in small yet significant ways. “SMEs have initiated new technologies and have participated in major development programs of the aerospace industry but have had to do so most of the times on a no-cost no-commitment basis. The government and industry should acknowledge this severe constraint and encourage SMEs by extending financial support for development programs also so as to sustain them,” Rao said.

In an interview to Express (to be published tomorrow), former Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal (retd) Fali Major too felt that it's time that the smaller private players should be given more opportunities during shows like Aero India. “There is huge talent out there and this is the time we support our MSMEs and SMEs,” Major said.

Copyright@The New Indian Express

A formidable Triveni Sangam scripting desi tech thrillers | DRDO, industry, academia script a new chapter

By Anantha Krishnan M
Express News Service

Bangalore: Success breeds success and Indian defence R&D's is tasting just that. With hand-holding becoming the common norm in aerospace and defence, the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR) too adopted the model of partnerships for various stages of the product life-cycle, while retaining certain core areas as its niche. The 'CAIR Model' hence became a reasonably unique experiment within the government setup and enabled the projection of its footprint on a larger canvass.
This model is a strategic one of collaboration for capacity and not capability. “Capability and capacity building are the two important facets of a technical organization. Usually, the former is the focus of R&D labs like CAIR and academia, while the latter is the focus of industries that thrive on the our innovations. Research often emanates from the portals of academia. World over, the seeds of research that is likely to culminate in a product are often sown in the precincts of university campuses,” say sources.
Interaction between the CAIR and academia brings in a synergy that helps raise the bar for both players. “Design, engineering and manufacturing are traditional core strengths of industry, and partnering with them on the lines of the CAIR Model would facilitate introduction of cutting-edge technologies into product design making them globally competitive,” say sources.
A recent venture by the CAIR is its participation in activities at the newly established Defence Research Innovation Center, at an adjoining campus of IIT, Madras (IITM). This research park is funded by DRDO and aims to bring faculty of IITM, leading industries, and scientists of DRDO towards a common cause of nurturing innovation. “We have successfully partnered with premier private sector industries and public sector undertakings, who have contributed excess of 1000 man years of support to us. This has very contributed to the long-list of successful systems that have been developed and fielded,” sources said.
Students beneficiaries: IIT Madras | For the last 10 years, IIT Mardas is partnering with CAIR on the electronics front. We are developing intelligent hardware and software for image processing, speech, cryptography, Artificial Intelligence, robotics and large-scale data analytics. Our goal is to make the software in India, tailor-made to DRDO's needs. Our students are the biggest beneficiaries of this unique bonding of all. - Prof Kamakoti, Head, Computer Science Dept, IIT Madras.
Win-Win Situation: Mahindra Satyam | We are engaged with CAIR in developing C4I and NCO systems for our Armed Forces. Our association is now close to three years with an aim to reduce the dependency on foreign companies. Its is a matter of pride for us to share our strengths and build core competence in some critical areas. It's a win-win situation for all. – Karthikeyan Natarajan, Senior VP & Global Head, Integrated Engineering Solutions, Mahindra Satyam.
India Shining Story: DRDO | I have been speaking in one tone so that the DRDO, industry and academia come togther to strengthen our R&D. If we keep on importing, we will neever become a self-reliant nation? DRDO has many futuristic programmes and we are willing to hand-hold with Indian industries and educational institutions. We have the brains who can develop smart systems. To me, this is truly the 'India Shining' story. -- V K Saraswat, Director General, DRDO

Copyright@The New Indian Express

 (Series concluded)

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Software & system sweethearts who captured India's military minds

Women scientists powering India's silent artificial intelligence and robotics sphere during their first-time ever media outing in Bangalore recently. Express Photos: Jithendra M

By Anantha Krishnan M
Express News Service

Bangalore: They march in step with their male counterparts. Their contributions one notch up than men, many times. They make the men who call the shots aware that the times are changing. The ladies have arrived. And, they are here to stay.
Welcome to the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR). Guests onboard this part of the series are all women. Their stellar contributions over the years have scripted many software and system sagas that went on to aid India's defence and intelligence. These software sweethearts come from star cities like Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai, while there are many who represent places like Kadalur, Kasegaon and Kurnool. They have time and again won the heart and soul of the military minds with their smart systems, that make men 'more intelligent.' And, if numbers matter to you on a Sunday morning, they are a healthy 30 per cent of the CAIR's 350-strong research community.
The CAIR stands apart from the rest of DRDO labs in many ways with a modern crèche that facilitates a young mother to swap between the lab and the apple of their eyes. The lab also boasts of a very high number of women scientists who have done their Ph.D, M. Tech and MS at India's best institutes. “Women leaders have an important role to play. They demonstrate an inclusive, team-building style of leadership, problem-solving and decision-making. Their strong people-skills, willingness to see all sides of a situation, coupled with their natural instincts, enables them to empathise better with individual concerns, and incorporate them into the scheme of things when appropriate,,” says DRDO chief V K Saraswat.
The lab's recent acquisition of status as an ISO 9001:2008-certified laboratory owes a great deal to the sheer grit and persuasive qualities of Manimozhi Theodore, Scientist-G, who heads the Software Quality Assurance Group. D Padma, Scientist-F, who heads a team that created Communication Middleware as part of the systems for the Indian Army. Dipti Deodhare, Scientist-F, heads the Artificial Intelligence and Neural Networks team, and has established leadership in these esoteric technologies. Their numerous invitations to participate in international scientific forums, publications and collaborations are just glimpses of their hidden prowess.
The next-gen women leaders are groomed to take on the future needs of the armed forces. Persia V and Anshu Bhardwaj, have been in the forefront of cutting-edge R&D, while Chitra Vishwanathan balances her role as the mother of two teenagers admirably with her work. Shyni Thomas keeps a virtual eye on her three-year-old daughter, back in the crèche after a day at the play school, even as she takes on the tough questions of military officers reviewing her work in artificial intelligence, and runs off to face her PhD defence at IISc, balancing it all with practised finesse at multi-tasking. “I have my role models to inspire me,” she said smiling.
Adversities don't seem to stop these women; if at all they seem to motivate them to perform better. "Even under hostile military conditions, in any remote corner of the country, we are more than willing to step up and participate in the fielding of systems that we have helped create," says Smita Srivastava, Scientist-D. "Working on a niche technology like virtual reality is a one-in-a-million opportunity,” feels Sangeeta Shrivastava, Scientist-E, who has contributed to creating a first of its kind terrain fly-through using stereo visualization at the CAIR.

Copyright@The New Indian Express

Tomorrow, Part 8: Battle Management Systems