Massive growth and development is happening in the defence sector, says Rear Adml Saxena
Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE) is focused on developing indigenous capabilities in building warships for the Indian Navy and exports, GRSE Chairman and Managing Director Rear Adml V K Saxena, IN (Retd.) has told an interactive session on “Indigenization Requirements of GRSE: Opportunities for MSMEs” organized by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI).
Rear Adml V K Saxena opined that MSME has emerged as a sector for high employment generation, contribution to the GDP in the manufacturing and service sector.
Due to the diligent efforts of the government, massive growth and development is happening in the defence sector and it will be interesting to watch out those new initiatives that are going to help the industries particularly the MSMEs sector, he said at the session on 29 June 2021.
He deliberated that due to recent policy initiatives undertaken by the Government of India, initiatives like Make in India, Self-Reliant India, and Vocal for Local are giving confidence towards the future of the defence sectors.
Initiatives like putting a lot of items in the negative lists and others are a good sign for the domestic defense industry that has helped to shorten the procurement process and make new chapters. The increase in the FDI limit and thrust on export has given a major push to this sector, he said.
Talking about the shipbuilding and war shipbuilding sector, Rear Adml V K Saxena highlighted that MSMEs are playing a pivotal role with the majority of the work done by the MSMEs right away from supplying the materials, which accounts for 70% of the shipbuilding procurement.
Shipbuilding is a mother industry that has a multiplying effect on the growth of the sector giving direct and indirect employment to many people.
“In GRSE, a very significant part of the procurement is done through MSMEs and more than 65 items are put in the mandatory procurement list from MSMEs,” said Rear Adml V K Saxena. “We should have more and more competitive vendors to develop more reliable and technologically developed products.”
GRSE has been very keen to work together with the MSMEs for the development of niche technology and products provided the MSMEs assure timely supply, he said.
GRSE needs a strong vendor ecosystem within the country to bid for international projects. It is quite keen to build a strong war shipbuilding ecosystem within the country with the help of the serious indigenous manufacturers.
Cdr Ravi Sharma. IN(Retd), DGM of GRSE, gave an overview about the indigenization of ship systems and a glimpse of the GRSE indigenization effort.
He also discussed the major and minor indigenization requirements and the approach path for the future which included identification of strength for indigenization and requirements; quantum of indigenization with an overall objective of cost-saving through import substitution; exploration of partnership for self-development and standardize and demonstrate proof of performance by trials, among others.
Harihar Das, also DGM of GRSE, discussed vendor development, the vendor management initiatives undertaken by GRSE with a preference given to MSMEs, UDYAM, GeM, e-TReDs and gave a detailed deliberation on the GRSE registration procedure.
Pradeep Multani, Senior Vice President, PHDCCI, deliberated about the importance of making the defense sector self-reliant with the help of indigenization which has the capability of developing and producing any defense equipment within the country for the dual purpose of achieving self-reliance and reducing the burden of imports.
Multani mentioned that self-reliance in defense manufacturing is one of the objectives of the Department of Defence Production.
“As far as indigenization is concerned, we have to take the first important step wherein we have the in-house capability to manufacture the materials, components and assemblies,” he said.
As part of Make In India initiatives of the Ministry of Defence through Indigenization Efforts, GRSE has made commendable progress by successfully incorporating a high percentage of indigenous content into their ships. #manufacturing #investment #makeinIndia #exports /fiinews.com
