Make India a manufacturing hub for safe space activities

August 2, 2021 2:27 pm

Lot of opportunities being given to the MSMEs, ease and support as well.

What are various emerging opportunities you see coming up in aerospace industry?

The defence production and export promotion policy of 2020 targets two: it’s the guideline document which is aimed at giving a thrust to the domestic manufacturing and for the defence and make India a manufacturing hub with a focus to achieve defence manufacturing turnover of 25 billion USD by 2025 investments worth 10 billion FDI. And differences increased to 74 percent by automatic route from earlier 49 percent and 400 percent through with a special permission of the government 200 percent, also FDA is not the first; and second positive list of 108 items with embargo, progressing over a period of time that’s one of the most important things. So, what you see is a lot of these programs which are in the development stage or actually in the status where it is going to be the orders that can be placed. The development is done production orders can be placed. And, since there is a ban on the input of these items, the company, the private sector, all the manufacturing companies can be sure of actually getting those opportunities in future.

DRDO adds on 108 items for development with private industries. So, these 108 technologies can be developed by the private industry. There are multiple avenues so that you and you all probably would have heard of the make one, make two, make three routes. So, you also have the TDF route, some of these programs have come under TDF route also where, the government is going to fund the particular program even make one, government is going to fund in TDF holds up to 90 percent government can fund the times, and especially for MSMEs and the small companies it is a big support if they want to develop these technologies. LCA ordered quantity for 83 chairs. So that’s a big, one of the biggest procurement programs that’s been finalised with a lot of opportunities for the private industry. And this is going to go on for a long period of time. So that’s one of the most important elements over the last year, we’ve been hearing of this particular order coming for a long time. So, I think most of the time for the opportunity to be taken advantage of models for the projects, is again promoted by the projects that we have seen. So that also gives opportunity to the private industries.

Now, what happened to space. It also saw a lot of announcements last year. So, unlocking of India’s space potential, the Government of India initiative to participate in space activities, make India a manufacturing hub for Safe Space activities. So that’s one of the most important concepts. if you know that actually, Indian Space Research Organisation has always promoted manufacturing the private industry, but here what’s different is now they want the private industry towards the parts but with them in developing some new technologies, newapplications, new, other areas to participate. So now private industry can also participate right from manufacturing the launch vehicles, to satellites, launch satellites, from ISRO on sites. ISRO was willing to, offer the facilities for the development for the function, provide satellite services, that’s another opportunity. So, many startups have been participating in this area of man making Mini-satellites, micro satellites for various variety of applications, for land applications, etc.

ISRO support with facilities and technology is mentioned, so, with facility they will support the technology handholding, if any backup is required. The that’s what we have announced Of course, probably with on a no cost on a notional cost on that particular basis. We also see a lot of GOCO opportunities that are coming up, ISRO has always, promoted that but we see some of the opportunities now coming up that way also. So that’s another opportunity for the private industry. In summary, we see the civil and export market has been severely affected by the covid 19 pandemic, the domestic sector while has seen a lot of policy initiatives coming up and gaining momentum, but civil as well and the export market which has been one of prime drivers for us in in the domestic aerospace manufacturing in the previous year’s actually has taken a hit actually because of the COVID-19 Pandemic. now Make in India initiative, as far as aerospace and defence sector is concerned has certainly gathered momentum.

So, a lot of opportunities being given to the MSMEs, ease and support as well. A move to a more self-led model is something that as an industry we need to strive for and this direction, the work has already started. But let me say, it is not a short journey. It is going to take time, and we need a lot of involvement in this.