E Comm chief wants more Bengal MSMEs to develop def tech
Times of India | 6 November 2024
123 Kolkata: Eastern Army Commander Lt General RC Tiwari on Tuesday urged the Bengal govt to inspire more MSMEs to develop tech and be part of the indigenous defence ecosystem.
Tiwari was speaking at East Tech 2024, a defence expo which saw more than 150 participants, including 11 exhibitors from Bengal. Sports and youth affairs minister Aroop Biswas represented the state.
Officials said Bengal, having the highest number of MSMEs in the country, was ready to plunge into defence tech manufacturing to create an ecosystem of supply chain for the armed forces.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the two-day symposium — organised by HQ Eastern Command (Indian Army), Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) — Tiwari stressed that the ceiling for direct purchase by Eastern Command was doubled to Rs 400 crore in the recent budget, opening more opportunities for MSMEs in the defence tech sector.
"Eastern Command is making endeavours to facilitate the evolution of indigenous defence manufacturing and research capabilities by due hand-holding and facilitating indigenous growth," said Tiwari, the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command.
Drone warfare had proved to be a "major disruptor on present-day battlefield", upsetting all traditional theories of warfighting, Tiwari said, adding that the Army was looking at augmenting military formations with potent state-of-the-art drones in arms as well as surveillance roles.
"We would like to believe that our defence industry partners working in this space can provide us with robust interference-proof drones that can operate in high altitudes and contested environments that our forces are operating in," he said.
Tiwari highlighted that establishing a sophisticated counter-drone grid was of utmost importance considering the progressively advanced capabilities emerging in this sphere, with armed forces worldwide in general and "our neighbourhood in particular".
"Cutting-edge technology to improve the survivability of troops and resources is the way forward. Moisture-proof storage conditions, especially for ammunition in the forward areas, is something that we expect the Indian defence industry to take on and come up with workable solutions," he said, pointing out the current needs of the industry.
Prior to Tiwari, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, while addressing the attendees through a recorded video message, highlighted Eastern Command's critical role as the largest operational command of Indian Army, facing a spectrum of challenges ranging from conventional warfare to counter-terrorism, cyber threats and grey-zone warfare.
The exhibitors put on an extensive range of technological innovations, including communications, tactical mobility, protection and sustenance, survivability, AI, drone and counter-drone technologies, robotics and firepower solutions.