This comment has been received from Capt Srinivas B Inje, who belongs to the Indian Navy’s Naval Armament Inspectorate Branch, on the article, ‘Innovate to Dominate’ written by Cdr Alekh Agrawal, published in the Indian Naval Despatch Monsoon 2022 Edition (pp 69-81).
Enough is said and deliberated on Indigenisation in Defence Industry in numerous forums but as quite rightly alluded by Cdr Alekh Agrawal in his article, Indigenisation alone will not suffice to achieve self-reliance in Defence Industry unless innovation becomes an integral part of its ecosystem. Innovation and credible R&D are undoubtedly the crucial areas the Nation needs to focus on for mitigating foreign OEM dependence.
The critical discourse by the author on the effectiveness of the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) resonates with the pulse of the present-day Defence Manufacturing Industry which is often left with no choice but to rely on foreign OEMs for critical technologies despite the Transfer of Technology (ToT) agreements in place. A potent manufacturing industry supported by indigenous Innovation allows for the development of new and advanced technologies that can give the country’s Defence Industry a competitive edge to emerge and flourish as a global defence exporter in future.
