Based on ‘Make in India’ campaign conceptualised by Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aimed at facilitating investments and fostering innovations for the manufacturing sector in India, the AIMT at Greater Noida organised a day-long Seminar at its campus on 9th May 2015. AIMT is an esteemed and premier management institute situated in Greater NOIDA conducting a two year full time residential MBA course for the wards of Army personnel. The theme of seminar was ‘Make in India Made Easy- Opportunities and Challenges in Defence Sector’.
Lt Gen Philip Campose, the Vice Chief of Army Staff, inaugurated the seminar and emphasised on the need for a synergised approach by all stakeholders to ensure success of the campaign in full measure. Shri G Mohan Kumar, Secretary Department of Defence Production delivered the Thematic Address at the Seminar and highlighted the need for a concerted effort on part of Defence Industry to leverage on the Government initiative and give a fillip to defence production. Shri Mohan Kumar assured full cooperation of the MoD in providing requisite environment and impetus to facilitate defence production.
The deliberations spread over three technical sessions covered in detail all the facets of the ‘Make in India’ campaign to include concerns of the services, perspective of the major arms players as well as the MSMEs and the DPSUs.
Ease of doing business in India vis a vis its competitors in SE Asia, encouraging R&D in defence sector and incentivising innovation, HR challenges for Make in India were some of the topics that were deliberated during the seminar. A special address on likelihood of Defence Economic Zones on the lines of the existing Special Economic Zones transforming India’s defence acquisition was also fielded. Senior representatives from think tanks in NCR, academia, industry and the government of India attended the seminar.The seminar proceedings also included review of equipment displayed on the lawns of the AIMT. The display included Defence Equipment procured from Special Financial Power’s of the Army Commander’s Fund, product improvements and products under development by DRDO and Department of Indigenisation.