CII in partnership with Indian Air Force organised a seminar “Make in India for Indian Air Force through Innovation and Indigenisation” at Air Force Auditorium, Subroto Park, New Delhi on 19th April in New Delhi. Hon’ble Raksha Rajya Mantri Rao Inderjit Singh inaugurated the seminar and released “Indigenisation Roadmap for Indian Air Force (2016-2025)”.
Indian Air Force is the fourth largest and one of the most formidable and professionally acclaimed Air Forces in the world. The IAF has a wide variety of weapon platforms and systems in its inventory, ranging from the legacy MiG 21 class of aircraft to the latest and state of the art new generation SU 30 MKI aircraft. IAF has a mix of Russian, Western and a few indigenous platforms and systems, and this wide variety of inventory coupled with depleting product support from OEMs for legacy aircraft fleets and systems poses a huge challenge in maintenance and sustenance of these assets. IAF is also in the process of replacing and upgrading some of its ageing and obsolete weapon platforms and equipment to advanced standards.
Procurement of new equipment, and maintenance and sustenance of legacy fleets and systems operated by the IAF offers a huge opportunity for indigenous development in the country. Some of the areas where the IAF is looking up to the private industry is setting up of MRO facilities, indigenisation of complex high end technology items, sub systems and systems as a whole, indigenisation of aircraft spares, of tools, testers and ground equipment, etc. There are private industries in the country with adequate expertise and potential, who can support the IAF in its quest for indigenisation towards achieving self reliance.
In pursuance of Govt of India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative and to reduce dependence on foreign OEMs, IAF is very keen to engage private industry to meet its requirements. This booklet is aimed at providing an insight into the IAF’s indigenisation requirements for the next ten years and the opportunities it offers to the industry. An effort has been made to collate the critical requirements of spares required by IAF for sustenance of its fleets and it is expected that release of this booklet would enable the industry to map its capabilities and potential with the requirements of IAF and encourage the industry to be a part of indigenisation process of IAF.