Thread by @sriramthg

Swavlamban 2024 - Prof Bhatnagar- Without research in materials, if you just integrated assemblies from outside that is not true indigenisation.

"How can we overcome a preference to money in students & parents?"
By the govt investing and making STEM R&D financially attractive! 10 years and the needle hasn't moved an inch!

The day TATAs and Mahindras of the world pay on the lines of Collins & PW & GE, you'll not have hordes leaving.

For that you need programs. Not license building transport aircraft or screwdriver Israeli drones.

And this constant hemorrhaging = when you finally make up your mind to do something you have to go on a massive manhunt for competent ppl to run your programs!

https://x.com/sriramthg/status/1549991089578291205

Vrinda Kapoor @VrindaKa - Hardware requires far more upfront capital & has longer lead times. Govt needs to be aware of funding startups to cater to salaries & release the pressure on that front. Entire setup needs to be more flexible, too rigid right now.

@VrindaKa A great session on startups, ecosystem and funding and there aren't more questions?! :(

@VrindaKa Also a slightly major nitpick. Can't the Navy even do a proper HD livestream ? What is this 720p nonsense?

AM Deo (JSR Dynamics) - just.. All great great points that we've been saying all these years! Plan for surge, plan for war, don't be a chindichor when placing orders!
Key point - Certification agencies need more resources.

Our policy was - go around with a shopping cart before a conflict and buy what's needed. Why go through the fuss of making and developing.

This has taken such deep root, it is taking so long to remove it.

Nair, CMD CSL - Need to be able to pick & deal with a specific company directly. Current procedures preclude such an option. Cannot do L1 for startups & small organisations.

Adm Chauhan - There are no short wars! Where are our underwater (seabed) sensors? Investments in these areas is terribly low. India can be a space & maritime power or it wont be a power at all.

Sidenote-We know why tatas & mahindras don't invest in R&D. When only 🪛products are preferred by services & mod over the long hard road of developing and working with companies to evolve products over years, why would they? Bottomline is a thing that govt service is ignorant of.

Simplest example - Why has ADFCR user trials been delayed for years? And prompt orders were given for that L70 radar system that L&T got? Same with few other radars. "We want battle proven syshtems saar". Well now source country is fighting wars and supply chain is gone.

On sensors (Our biggest sorepoint) - a particularly frustrated drdo developer all but cried saying we can design this and that. But the fellows who need to produce need scale to do it for us. It is too expensive and we have no scale to offer.

Baba Kalyani - We don't have an order from the Army yet.