New Delhi: Army Chief General Manoj Pande underscored the vital need to be self-reliant in warfighting platforms and systems besides achieving self-sufficiency in critical technologies through indigenous Research & Development.
The Army Chief said emergency procurement powers given by the Centre have helped the force to modernise itself.
General Pande was speaking at a seminar cum exhibition conducted by the Indian Army on the theme “Year of Technology Absorption – Empowering the Soldier”. The event was conducted by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), on behalf of the Indian Army in Manekshaw Centre here on Wednesday.
He also said that technology is being leveraged for weaponisation of varied domains, ranging from Information to Supply Chains. Citing examples from recent conflicts, he mentioned that disruptive and dual-use technologies are proliferating at unprecedented scale and transforming the Character of Modern Wars.
The Army Chief mentioned that a suite of digital technologies encompassing Electronic Warfare, Micro-electronics, Drones, Precision Attack Systems, Loiter Munitions and Star-link Terminals are challenging traditional force multipliers.
The COAS reiterated the commitment of the Indian Army to continue its pursuit towards transitioning into a modern, agile, adaptive and technology-enabled future-ready force. He urged all stakeholders, the Services, Industry Partners, Start-Ups, Research & Development institutions, Academia and Policy Makers to synergise their efforts and develop a vibrant national defence ecosystem.
The seminar was conducted in three sessions, with the first session focussed on “Contemporary Technology and Industry Capabilities”.
The session was moderated by Lieutenant General Vineet Gaur, Director General Capability Development and the speakers were eminent personalities from academia and industry such as Prof Mayank Vatsa (IIT Jodhpur), Dr Mandira Majumder, Rajiv Mehrotra, Vaibhav Gupta, and Colonel Karandeep Singh (Retired). This session analysed the emerging role of the Indian Defence Industry in strengthening overall defence architecture.
The speakers also deliberated upon the technology developed so far and the future roadmap to build cutting-edge technologies for military usage.
