By Staff Correspondent
North Tech Symposium was organised under the aegis of HQ Northern Command at Udhampur. The symposium was conducted over two days, on 6 and 7 May 2022. A seminar with the theme ‘Self Reliance in Defence through Atmanirbharta and Infusion of New Technologies to meet Operational Challenges of Northern Command’ was held on 6 May.
The seminar was inaugurated by Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi, AVSM, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief and representatives from the Indian Defence Industry, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSU), and academia participated and presented their thoughts, ideas and state-of-the-art defence technologies under one umbrella.
On the second day of the symposium, an exhibition was organised wherein 162 companies from the Indian defence industry, including Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), DRDO, DPSU, etc., participated and exhibited their products. In addition, 42 innovative solutions by army establishments towards enhancing the Indian army’s combat potential were also on display.
The exhibition was inaugurated by Lt Gen. BS Raju, UYSM, AVSM, YSM, Vice Chief of Army Staff. The symposium saw active participation from Integrated Defence Staff, Army Headquarters, Army Training Command (ARTRAC), other Commands, Category ‘A’ establishments, Officers from HQ Northern Command, its subordinate formations and members of the Media. This interactive platform for knowledge diffusion through Joint Army – Industry participation was an essential step in the direction of the Government’s initiative of ‘Make in India’.
During the seminar on the first day, the participants from Army and Industry discussed the policy and procedures for expeditious procurement, Raksha Atmanirbharta initiatives by the Indian Army, DRDO and Defence Public Sector Undertakings, and how can the private sector contribute toward surveillance systems, weapon sights, drones, counter-drone systems and various technologies like 3D printing.
The exhibition at Dhar Road showcased the prowess made by Indian Defence Industry. Lt Gen BS Raju delivered the keynote address during the exhibition, interacted with the vendors and manufacturers, and complimented them to continue striving towards the vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.
The Symposium served to showcase cutting edge technologies and innovative products, providing solutions to some of the complex challenges faced by the security forces in Northern Command and acted as an ideal platform for mutual exchange of ideas between the domestic Defence Industry and the army. The technologies and products on display covered a broad canvas: surveillance and situational awareness, tactical mobility, firepower, force protection, communications, combat medical facility, robotics and simulators.
The symposium was a huge success, and Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi, AVSM lauded all the vendors’ initiatives and innovations. The General Officer expressed his conviction that the plethora of technologies available indigenously can further boost the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ project. The spirit of Atmanirbharta demands that research and development, the domestic defence industry and the army work in a synchronised manner to realise the nation’s vision.
