Technological advancements in India’s Aerospace and Defence sector

The ET Aerospace and Defence Summit 2022 unravelled the expansion and profuse growth opportunities in the Aerospace & Defence sector in India. Through insightful panel discussions and keynote sessions, the Summit addressed growth opportunities and the role of technology that can help India’s A&D sector touch an estimated growth of $70 billion by 2030.

One of the keynote speakers at the Virtual Summit, Cdr Ajith George (Retd), Country Manager (Govt. and Defence), OEM solutions, Dell Technologies laid out his vision and expertise on the technological advancements in the Aerospace and Defence sector.

India’s journey of technological transformation

Ajith George pointed out the rapid proliferation of mobile phones, the unimpeded online classes for students amidst acute pandemic, digital payments, drones and telemedicine as some of the most remarkable testimonies of India’s technological advancement.

While in Aerospace and Defence he referred to the recent developments like the capability of India to export Brahmos missiles to the Philippines and the procurement of Arjun Mk2 battle tanks as growing technological strength. Dell India has also grown from an importer to a first-time manufacturer. These and many other activities indicate that India has come a long way to become a designer, manufacturer and exporter from being a mere importer.

Hybrid warfares and their importance
George succinctly put up hybrid warfare a convergence of multiple warfare technologies including conventional warfare and cyber technology. India is well on its road to creating hybrid warfares with the existing and dedicated defence networks and cyber agencies. However, this could be achieved faster by also focussing on big data analytics, artificial intelligence and cyber securities. Dell can be a huge help here as it works with international partners to provide computing solutions, securely storing, retrieving and providing data on demand.

Change in the way information is processed in Defence
George was quick to relate the change in information processing in Defence and elsewhere with the concept of edge computing, which the defence sector considers very potent. The edge is the point where data is active or close to being created to develop actionable intelligence of immediate value. Especially a combination of edge computing and 5G can create a great impact on various industries including Defence. Dell OEM can indeed help the partners to scale heights in edge computing.

What solutions can Dell OEM offer to the military and defence?
Dell’s expertise in computer storage and customising services to meet the requirements of diverse clients across all sectors make it a highly reliable and sought-after solution for defence. The storage solutions provided by Dell are fundamental for numerous weapon systems, and electronic-centric operations. Recently, Dell provided ruggedized marine servers and storage devices to its partners for day-to-day ship operations.

Relevance of Innovation for Defence Excellence (iDEX)
George lauded Government's iDEX initiative for innovation and research in the defence sector. The burgeoning start-ups and entrepreneurs working on addressing hurdles in the defence sector, under the auspices of iDEX are particularly motivating, he said.

The Make in India drive, if followed earnestly, can turn India into a key manufacturing hub in the whole world, felt George. He substantiated his claim by citing India’s right demographics and capabilities that can help the country achieve a digital future along with the $5 trillion target. When it comes to indigenous manufacturing, Dell has been steadily moving in the direction of the establishment of Dell’s first manufacturing plant near Chennai. Dell not only produces indigenous devices but has also been striving to diversify the range of products so much so that it now qualifies as a Class -I supplier.

Watch the full fireside chat here.