Directorate General of Quality Assurance, an inter service organisation functioning under the Department of Defence Production in the Ministry of Defence, on Thursday, December 16, 2021, organised an exhibition for students to create awareness about indigenous military technology and equipment, as part of the celebrations of 75 years of Independence.
Senior officials including Additional Director General of Quality Assurance, DGQA, S. Satish Chandra Kumar, Brigadier Ajay Dalal and Lieutenant Colonel Ashish Vasudev interacted with students, motivating and inspiring them to contribute to indigenous military technology development.
Sanjeev Kumar, a student of Sree Gokulam Public School, Chengalpet, said the awareness about indigenous military technology and the challenges faced by the defence suppliers has inspired him to appear for the competitive examinations to become a bureaucrat.
Ajeya battle tank T-72, a tank of Russian origin inducted in 1980, performed at the exhibition. Heavy Vehicle Factory, Avadi, started indigenous production of Ajeya with complete transfer of technology from Russia in 1988. Similarly, T-90S Bhishma, the Russian origin tank has been manufactured in India, with more than 98% of the 1272 components manufactured indigenously, said an official. The tank can even withstand a nuclear attack.
Bridge laying tank B80 also performed at the exhibition. Main battle tank Arjun MK-1, the state of the art combat vehicle with advanced technology for superior fire power, mobility and protection coupled with ease and comfort in handling, was also exhibited. Several defence suppliers exhibited indigenous components used in combat vehicles and warship projects.
R.P. Raja, lighting design engineer, at Baliga, a defence supplier in Kovilambakkam on the outskirts of Chennai, said most of the components of Russian origin have been manufactured indigenously after the initiative of the Central government in 1995. "We are manufacturing most of the components indigenously. We started indigenous production in 2004," said Mr. Raja. Pointing to the challenges in indigenous manufacturing of electronic components, Mr. Raja said the defence suppliers are relying on electronic components from Taiwan, China and South Korea.
K. Gokulakrishnan, junior engineer, at the exhibition of medium scale industry for manufacturing defence components in Chennai, said research and development in flame proof materials and components was under way in the suburbs of Chennai.
