The Indian Navy commissioned and inducted three major war vessels - INS Surat, INS Nilgiri and INS Vagsheer. They were commissioned together for the first time and all the three are 'Made in India'. On the following day, ISRO docked 2 SpaDeX satellites in space, making India the 4th country in the world to achieve a successful space docking mission. 

All these were not done by a single person or a single crew, rather it is a joint accomplishment that includes the Academia, Industry, MSMEs, Start-Ups along with the government. “We all are here to make India a self-reliant and fully developed by 2047… Each of us have to play our roles to make it possible and make India attain self-reliance,” said Commodore Balasundaram, Director, Centre for Indigenisation and Self Reliance (CISR), Indian Navy here on Saturday at a conference. 

Aerospace Industry Development Association of Tamil Nadu (AIDAT) and Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) organized this conference in Coimbatore that is aimed at fostering collaboration and growth opportunities for industries and academic institutions in Tamil Nadu, especially in the Aerospace and Naval domains.

Held on the theme 'Strategic Business Opportunity with DRDO Aeronautical Cluster & Cochin Shipyard', this conference attracted 100 industries from Coimbatore and rest of Tamil Nadu and the academia as well.

Rajalakshmi Menon, DG (Aero), DRDO took part as the Chief Guest. Ramachandaran, President, AIDAT; Christopher, Former Secretary DD R&D and Chairman, DRDO; Krishnamoorthy, IOFS, Special Secretary & Project Director, TIDCO, Govt of Tamil Nadu and Commodore Balasundaram, Director, Centre for Indigenisation and Self Reliance (CISR) participated as the special invitees.

Christopher, Chairman of AIDAT, stated, "Tamil Nadu is known for its industrial excellence; however, there are not many players in the aerospace sector. An interaction with the DRDO Aeronautical Cluster will help our industries understand the kind of projects being undertaken by DRDO and how MSMEs can collaborate and offer their services."

"DRDO develops Light Combat Aircraft (LCAs), their engines, and large-sized Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) etc.Through this conference, industries can gain insight into how they can contribute to the development of these vehicles and how they need to evolve to become suppliers for the government. They will understand how they can facilitate the requirements of the aerospace sector."

Speaking at the event, Commodore Balasundaram, Director, Centre for Indigenisation and Self Reliance (CISR), Indian Navy said that he has started already placing orders here with the industrial corridor here in Coimbatore, Chennai as well as Trichy to the tune of Rs.15-16 crore.

He opined that MSMEs are too cautious to do business with defence & government agencies maybe due to various reasons, as the volume is less, the payment terms are slightly stringent and the quality & inspection procedures are a bit lengthy . “At the end of it , all of us are working for the nation’s aspiration to be self-reliant,” he said.

The Indian Navy or the ship-building industry, he opined, can be 95% indigenous with everyone’s co-operation in 10 year’s time. Like PM’s vision to be immensely self-reliant in 2047, the Navy too can achieve complete indigenous level. It is possible, he added.

K. Rajalakshmi Menon, Director General (Aero), DRDO, in her inaugural address, emphasized, "It is our duty to ensure that our defense ecosystem is well-developed so that we can be a leader in defense technology, not just a follower."

She further added, "We should innovate systems and products in India that are not only for our nation but for the world. To achieve this, we need to build an ecosystem of the highest standards. Higher educational institutions must produce highly qualified, committed, and industry-ready candidates capable of working on world-class projects. This will make India truly Atma Nirbhar (self-reliant)."

It is noteworthy to mention that this platform was made possible by the efforts taken by AIDAT. It is an association led by Industry Veterans who have years of experience in the Aerospace and Defence Industry in India and beyond.