IAF chief seeks aeronautical panel

The Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal F H Major today asked the government to set up of an aeronautical commission that could take a comprehensive view of different areas of the aerospace industry.

Speaking at the 3rd International Conference on ‘Energizing Indian Aerospace Industry’, organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) jointly with IAF and the Centre for Air Power Studies here today Major said, "Time is right for setting up of an aeronautical commission which can take care of all areas of aerospace industry.

Outlining the challenges in the development of aerospace industry, Major said the "aerospace power industry is highly capital intensive and its growth depends on the availability, reliability and maintainability of all its ingredients like advanced technology, high-skilled manpower, etc.’

He said while the target of self-reliance was impossible for any country to achieve, it was important for India to ''recognize our strength in certain core technological areas and we should develop our expertise and capability there."

Speaking on the occasion Pradeep Kumar, secretary, defence production, Ministry of defence, said the offset opportunities for aeronautical production are going to multiply manifold and therefore policymakers should not ''make any distinction between the private and public sector.’’

This, he said, called for a paradigm shift in the role of the private sector in the country’s defence industry.

In his keynote address Kumar said, ''India ’s competitive edge is provided by its large manpower, its entrepreneurs, and the availability of high-end skills and advanced technology."

"It is imperative for India to create indigenous capacity for carbon fibre manufacturing as it is a very important part of the modern aerospace industry," he said.