New Delhi, Nov 15 (KNS) : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday called for making India a global leader in advanced technologies, stressing the need to develop indigenous capabilities in critical defence-related sectors to reduce technological dependence and strengthen national security.
Addressing an international conference on Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) virtually, Rajnath Singh as per news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS) said India must move beyond being merely a user of advanced technologies and emerge as a developer and innovator.
He emphasised that accuracy, reliability and integrity of testing results were crucial in defence applications, asserting that there could be no compromise on quality assurance in strategic sectors.
"We must strengthen our indigenous capabilities in advanced inspection technologies, specialised sensors, evaluation equipment and associated software," he said.
Rajnath Singh said a robust domestic NDT ecosystem was essential for securing critical defence supply chains and strengthening India's pursuit of self-reliance in the defence sector.
He called for consistent quality assurance practices across the defence industrial ecosystem, highlighting the role of public sector undertakings, private manufacturers, start-ups and micro, small and medium enterprises in achieving this objective.
Explaining the importance of NDT, the Defence Minister said the technology enables examination of materials, components and structures without causing damage to them.
Drawing a comparison with medical ultrasound and X-ray examinations, he said these techniques help detect internal defects in critical components without dismantling or damaging the equipment.
As India's defence systems become increasingly sophisticated, every critical material, component and manufacturing process must meet the highest standards of quality and reliability, Rajnath Singh said.
He cautioned that hidden defects could affect operational availability, increase maintenance requirements, reduce equipment service life and, in critical situations, jeopardise mission success.
Highlighting the strategic significance of indigenous defence manufacturing, Rajnath Singh said quality in missiles, aircraft, naval platforms and spacecraft was directly linked to operational reliability and national security.
He described India's pursuit of self-reliance in defence as a strategic necessity and cited developments in missile technology, naval platforms, aerospace engineering, radar systems and space applications as indicators of the country's growing capabilities.
The commissioning of India's first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, was an important milestone in the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, he said.
Rajnath Singh also highlighted the role of initiatives such as Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) and the Technology Development Fund (TDF) in encouraging innovation, technological development and experimentation in the defence sector.
Referring to the growing application of emerging technologies, he said Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, robotics, advanced sensors, digital twins and predictive analytics were expanding the possibilities of inspection and structural health monitoring.
These technologies can improve inspection efficiency, facilitate complex data analysis and help detect defects that may not be easily identified through conventional methods, he said.
The Defence Minister urged professionals to continuously upgrade their capabilities and develop indigenous solutions suited to India's strategic and industrial requirements.
He also called for stronger collaboration among the government, industry, academia and research institutions to accelerate technological advancement and achieve strategic self-reliance.
The three-day conference, organised by the Indian Society for Non-Destructive Testing in Hyderabad, Telangana, has brought together more than 2,000 professionals, researchers, industry experts and students to deliberate on developments in NDT and its applications, particularly in defence and aerospace. (KNS)
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