Indian Army poised for majormodernisation: Vice Chief of Army Staff

Bengaluru, Nov 14 : Vice Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General BS Raju on Monday said that the Indian Army is poised for major modernisation in the coming decades and that there is substantial scope for Indian industry to harness the market to develop indigenous capability especially in high technology areas. He was addressing a function marking the inauguration of a Regional Technology Node (RTN-B) of the Army Design Bureau (ADB) at ASC Centre & College, Bengaluru.
Lt Gen Raju called the collaborative efforts of Army, academia, industry, angel investors and sate government a momentous occasion. Emphasising the importance of self-reliance in the defence sector, he said meeting the Army’s defence requirement is a strategic necessity. Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat” initiatives a game changer, Lt Gen Raju said that the initiative has given a major impetus in defence procurement.
He said that the Army Design Bureau (ADB), which was established in Delhi to engage with industry and academia for development of niche technology for the Army, is bearing fruits and the establishment of the Regional Technology Nodes (RTN) will further increase its reach. Lt Gen Raju stated that it is a right step in the right direction for ushering technology infusion in the Indian Army and congratulated the Commandant ASC Centre and College and his team for establishment of RTN-B at ASC Centre and College.
He expressed his admiration for the startup ecosystem of Bengaluru and its prowess in IT and Innovation and exalted the nascent RTN-B to fast-pace technology infusion in the Indian Army. Lt Gen Raju conveyed good wishes to the Node for achieving the objective of technology integration in consultation with industry and academia.
In his special address, Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar informed that this year’s Global Investment Meet resulted in the signing of MoUs involving Rs 9.8 lakh crore. He also said Karnataka has emerged as a preferred destination in aerospace and defence sectors due to the initiatives of the Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and the policies of his government. The minister emphasised on the need to facilitate industry and startups by fast tracking permissions.
and clearance that will enhance ease-of-doing business, thereby creating employment opportunities for the youth. Dr Sudhakar welcomed the establishment of RTN-B and said that it is a phenomenal opportunity for industry, academia, venture capitalists, startups for developing cutting-edge technology for defence purposes.
He also promised full support and guidance from his government for the initiative. The RTN-B booklet and banner in the first half of the seminar was also released. The second session involved interaction with the industry experts, academia, angel investors and startup ventures, resulting in health discussion and idea sharing. Talking about RTN-B, Defence PRO said it will leverage location advantage of ASC Centre and College Bengaluru to interface with trade, industry and academia of Bengaluru with specific focus on IT, for infusion of technology in Indian Army. In order to further enhance the reach of ADB, the first Regional Technology Node (RTN-P) was set up at Pune to act as an interface with industry in Maharashtra.