'Make in India' in Defence and Indigenous Technologies

Achieving self-reliance and reducing dependence on foreign countries in defence is a necessity today rather than a choice, both for strategic and economic reasons. The

Government in the past has created production capabilities in defence in form of Ordnance Factories and Public Sector Undertakings to cater to the requirements of our Armed Forces.

However, there is a need to enlarge the role of Indian private sector as well to develop capabilities and capacities for production of various defence equipments. Our Prime Minister has taken a very important initiative in form of ‘Make in India’ to promote and encourage domestic manufacturing of various items. The requirement for domestic production of defence equipment is more than for any other sector because it will not only save precious foreign exchange but will also address the national security concerns.

Government being the only consumer, ‘Make in India’ in defence sector will be driven by our procurement policy. The Government policy of promoting domestic defence industry is adequately reflected in the Defence Procurement Policy, wherein preferential treatment is given to ‘Buy (Indian)’ and ‘Buy and Make (Indian)’ categories of acquisition over ‘Buy (Global)’. In the days to come, import is going to be the rarest of the rare option and first opportunity would be given to the Indian Industry to develop and manufacture the required systems. As Indian companies presently may not have adequate capabilities in terms of technology, they are encouraged to partner with foreign companies for joint ventures, technology transfer arrangements and tie-ups. If we look at the profile of Acceptance of Necessity (AONs) granted by Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) in the last couple of months after the new Government has come to power, proposals worth more than Rs.65,000 crores have been categorized under ‘Buy (Indian)’ and ‘Buy and Make (Indian)’.

The process of further orienting the Defence Procurement Procedure towards procurement from domestic industry will continue in future as well. The procurement process would be made more efficient, time bound and predictable so that the industry can plan its investment and R & D well in advance to meet the requirement of our armed forces.

Till now, there were many entry barriers for the domestic industry to enter into defence sector in terms of licensing, FDI policy restrictions etc. In the last six months, the Government has taken several policy initiatives to ease the process of entry into defence

manufacturing. The most important is the liberalization of the FDI policy regime for

Defence sector to encourage foreign investment in the sector. FDI up to 49% is allowed through Government route (with FIPB approval). FDI above 49% is also allowed on a case-to-case basis with the approval of Cabinet Committee on Security wherever the proposal is likely to result in access to modern and state-of-the-art technology in the country. Restrictions in earlier policy related to Foreign Institutional Investment (FII) and majority shareholding to be held by single Indian shareholder have been removed.

Even though private sector industry was allowed to enter in defence manufacturing since

2001, after obtaining industrial licence under IDR Act, the process of obtaining industrial licence was very cumbersome and used to act as a major road block for the industry, particularly small and medium industry, who were in the business of making part, components, sub systems and sub-assemblies. The Government liberalized the licensing policy and now most of the components, parts, raw materials, testing equipments, production machinery, castings, forgings etc. have been taken out from the purview of licensing. The companies desirous of manufacturing such items no longer require industrial licence and will also not be subjected to FDI ceiling of 49%. A comprehensive Security Manual indicating the security architecture to be followed by various class of industries has been put in public domain, so that companies could easily access the same and follow it accordingly.

The initial validity of industrial license has been increased from two to three years. For the first time, a Defence Export Strategy has been formulated and has been put in public domain. The strategy outlines specific initiatives to be taken by the Government for encouraging the export of defence items. It is aimed at making the domestic industry more sustainable in the long run as the industry cannot sustain purely on domestic demand. A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for issue of NOC for export of military stores has been finalised and has also been put in public domain. Requirement of End User Certificate (EUC) to be signed and stamped by Government authorities has been dispensed with for most of the defence items, particularly parts, components, sub-systems and sub-assemblies. This will largely ease out the export by the domestic industry. A web-based online system to receive applications for NOC for export of military stores has been developed and has been put in place.

There is a big opportunity in the defence sector for both domestic and foreign investors.

We have the third largest armed force in the world with an annual budget of about US$ 38 billion and 40% of this is used for capital acquisition. In the next 7-8 years, we would be investing more than US$ 130 billion in modernization of our armed forces and with the present policy of MAKE IN INDIA, the onus is now on the industry to make best use of this opportunity for the benefit of both the businessas well as the nation. Besides, under offset more than Rs. 25000 crore obligations are to be

discharged in next 7-8 years.

While on the one hand, Government is making necessary policy changes with regard to

procurement, investment including FDI, licensing, export etc., the industry also needs to come up and accept the challenge of up-gradation in terms of technology and required investments. Defence is the sector which requires huge investments and technology and is driven by innovation. The industry, therefore, has also to change its mindset and think for long term rather than temporary gains. We need to focus more on Research and Development and state of the art manufacturing capabilities. The Government is

fully committed to create an eco-system for the domestic industry to rise and to provide a level- playing field to all sectors of industry, both public and private.

Published in Moneylife.in

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: Role of Indigenous technologies developed by BARC

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: Role of Indigenous technologies developed by BARC

Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan was launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India on 2nd October, 2015,
which caught attention of everybody not only in India, but also in the world. The Government has taken various steps to create awareness among the masses for keeping the area surrounding them neat and clean. Government is also paying special attention for cleaning of rivers, railway stations, tourist
destinations and other public places.

To achieve the target of cleanliness, the technologies to treat the waste material should also be
developed along with creating awareness. There are many technologies that are used to treat waste
material. They are usually very costly, very complexto be understood and viable only for large size
units. At the same time, indigenous technologies are low cost capital and easy to use and they can also be used by different size units.In India, they are particularly suitable for the small and medium units. In this regard, a National workshop on Indigenous water, Wastewater and Solid Waste Treatment Technologies was organised by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) in January, 2015 at Gujarat Technological University (GTU) in Ahmadabad. The objective of the workshop was to disseminate indigenous technologies of water, wastewater and solid waste treatment developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) under “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan” and to bridge gap between the research at the research centres and the practical application of the technologies.
The BARC is playing a pivotal role in the development of these technologies. Some of these
technologies are as follows:
Indigenous water purification technologies:
These technologies can improve the drinking water quality of smaller villages as well as larger cities.
It uses the Pressure Driven Membrane Processes. These are suitable for all capacity units e.g. they are
adaptable from household level unit or community level unit to large scale unit. Water purification
technologies make use of the nuclear energy and solar energy also.
Environment friendly Plasma technologies:
Solid waste dumping sites or landfill sites need more amount of land which is not available in urban
areas. Incineration of solid waste pollutes the environment if the incinerators are not designed or
operated properly.Thermal Plasma Technology is ideally suited for waste treatment. By plasma
technology Hazardous & toxic compounds are broken down to elemental constituents at high
temperatures; Inorganic materials are converted to Vitrified Mass; and Organic materials are
Pyrolysed or Gasified, Converted to flue gases (H2 & CO) & Lower hydrocarbon gases when

operated at low temperature (500 – 600OC).Disposal of carcass is also being thought of using plasma pyrolysis.
Unique Multi Stage Biological Treatment Solution:
Multi Stage Biological Treatment Solution (MSBT)can be implemented on existing STP which are not able to process Sewage to optimum efficiency. MSBT can be implemented as a modular or container on the banks of rivers on Drains/Nalas which discharge waste water to the river. It can also be implanted in small urban societies and housing complex for better water management.Benefits of
MSBT are: No Surplus of Organic Sludge, No Odour problem, Drastic reduction of Electrical Power
usage which minimizes operating costs, No need for return sludge pumping (minimizing
electromechanical component which ultimately reduces operating cost).
Role of environmental isotope techniques in the water resources development and management:
There are two type of isotopes,stable isotopes and radioactive isotopes. Isotope techniques are used to
find out the type of contamination in surface water and ground water, the sources and origin of
contamination, pollutant dispersion in surface water bodies, to assess thegroundwater salinity, to
assess the changes due to longterm exploitation of groundwater, for hydrochemical investigation and
to carry out geochemical evolution of groundwater.
The BARC UF Membrane Technology for Domestic Water Purifiers:
Water filters manufactured by Sondhka based on membrane based water Purification Technology has
been developed by BARC. Benefits of BARC Polysulfone Membrane are high tech 0.02micron or
20nm, simple form factor, rugged (life of more than 1 year) and low maintenance (about Rs. 500 per
year). It is very easy to use and very low cost solution for the water contamination.
Deployment of BARC Domestic Water Purifier in Rural Area through AKRUTI Program:
Rural Human & Resource Development Facility is disseminating BARC technologies, namely
NisargrunaBiogas, Soil Organic Carbon Testing Kit, Seed Bank, Domestic Water Purifier, Weather
Forecasting, LLL, RIA, FSD, VTD; under the AKRUTI( Advance Knowledge of Rural Technology
Implementation) Program. Activities carried out under the AKRUTI program aresurveys for safe
drinking water, Interaction with the villagers, Entrepreneurship development for domestic water
purifier production and Awareness programs for benefits of use purified water. RHRDF has also
launched a scheme for safe drinking water for village under CSR.
Radiation Hygienization of Municipal Sewage Sludge:
The Sewage is the waste water generated from domestic premises and consists mainly of human
waste. It typically contains 99.9% water and about 0.1% solid. The solid waste in sewage is typically
organic in nature and is broken down in the sewage treatment plants resulting in sewage sludge as a
byproduct. In Radiation Hygienization process dry sludge generated at STP’s is hygienized using
radiation technology using standard Gamma facility at a Dose of 10 kGs. Such radiation plants are
operating in India for sterilizing medical products.
Refuse Derived Fuel: An Emerging Processing Technology in MSWM:
Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) is a processed form of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and it can be a
substitute to coal energy. The process of conversion of garbage into fuel pellets involves primarily
Drying, Separation of incombustible, Sizereduction and Pelletisation.
Conclusion: The above mentioned technologies can be of great help in the treatment of water and
solid waste management. This shows that solid waste which is normally treated as the cause of
concern, if treated properly it can become a sustainable source of energy. The aim should be to promote research work in these technologies. After the research is done, the gap between research and its implementation at ground level should be bridged. All stakeholderssuch as various departments, urban local bodies, consultants and contractors should be involved so that these
technologies can be utilised by small, medium and large units, so that they can contribute to the
Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan by making India clean.

India’s Recent weapons commissioned

Missile power

India’s Recent weapons commissioned The success of the canister-launched flight trial of Agni-V reaffirms India’s status as a world class missile power. By T.S. SUBRAMANIAN

“A game-changer” and “a giant leap in the country’s deterrence capability” was how Avinash Chander, Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister, characterised the success of the canister-launched flight trial of Agni-V on January 31, also the day he laid down office. The strategic missile has a range of more than 5,000 kilometres and confirms India’s status as a world-class missile power.

    India now ranks fifth or sixth in the world, behind the United States, Russia, France, China/Israel, having missiles that can carry nuclear warheads and can be launched from land, sea and air. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), of which Avinash Chander was Director-General, is behind the development of India’s missiles. The strategic missiles, capable of carrying nuclear warheads, are a varied lot: Prithvi-II, Dhanush, Agni-I, II, III, IV and V, all surface-to-surface missiles.

    The single-stage, liquid-propelled Prithvi-II (10 metres long, weighing six tonnes and 1 m in diameter), the earliest to be developed under the country’s Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), can strike at targets situated more than 350 km away. Dhanush is the ship-based variant of Prithvi-II. The five Agni variants, all ballistic missiles, form the bulwark of India’s nuclear deterrence. The single-stage, 15-metre-long, 12-tonne Agni-I, with a range of 750 km, was developed in 15 months after the Kargil war ended in June 1999. The two-stage Agni-II (20 m, 17 tonnes) followed. Agni-III’s weight of 50 tonnes was a quantum jump. Agni-IV used several new technologies, including rocket motors made of composites, to bring the weight down to just 17 tonnes to have modern avionics in order to accommodate navigation and guidance systems. With the addition of an extra (third) stage, Agni-III/IV metamorphosed into the redoubtable Agni-V. The January 31 launch was significant for one more reason than the long range of the missile: it was the first canisterised launch, from a truck, of an Indian-made intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

      According to informed sources, a missile that can carry a conventional warhead of 500 kg or more is also capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. In the surface-to-air category, “a great success story”, according to DRDO spokesman Ravi Gupta, has been the Akash weapon system, for which the Army and the Air Force have already placed production orders worth Rs.23,000 crore. The 710-kg Akash, carrying a 55-kg payload, is the equivalent of the U.S.’ “Patriot” missile and can destroy fighter aircraft, cruise missiles, helicopters and manoeuvring targets such as unmanned aerial vehicles, flying 25 km away. It can fly at 2.5 Mach and climb to an altitude of 18 km.

Interceptors

India ranks after the U.S., Russia, China and Israel in interceptor missile capability, providing the country with a ballistic missile defence (BMD) system. The BMD system detects, identifies and tracks the flight path of incoming ballistic missiles. Two interceptors, called Advanced Air Defence (AAD) and Prithvi Air Defence (PAD), with seekers can intercept ballistic missiles coming from adversarial locations 2,000 km to 5,000 km away. India’s hidden asset, the submarine-launched K15,  carries a nuclear warhead, is under production, while K-4, another submarine-launched missile, with a range of 3,000 km, is under development. Shourya is the land version of the K- 15 and is launched from a canister. BrahMos, jointly developed by Russia and India, is a supersonic cruise missile and can fly at Mach 3. Cruise missiles are called so because they cruise at a constant altitude. BrahMos carries conventional warheads. Its block II version with target discrimination capability and block III version with steep diving capability even at supersonic speeds have also been developed.

Nirbhay is a long-range subsonic cruise missile, flying at 0.7 Mach. Its second flight on October 17, 2014, was a big success. Nirbhay is an innovative amalgam of missile and aeronautical technologies—it lifts off like a missile, but once it jettisons its booster engine, its wings spread out and its turbo-jet engine in the second stage kicks in to enable the contraption to fly like an aircraft. While BrahMos can strike targets 290 km away with conventional warheads, Nirbhay, carrying conventional or nuclear warheads, has a reach of 1,000 km.

(Published in Frontline.in)