Atmanirbhar push: Rajnath Singh launches indigenised Konkurs Missile Test Equipment

Days after giving the Atmanirbhar push to the Defence sector with an embargo on the import of 101 items, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday launched Konkurs Missile Test Equipment and Konkurs Launcher Test Equipment, which have been indigenously designed and developed by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL). Earlier the products were imported from Russia.

The Konkurs Missile Test Equipment (KMTE) and Konkurs Launcher Test Equipment (KLTE) are designed for checking the serviceability of Konkurs - M Anti-Tank Guided Missiles and Konkurs - M Missile Launchers respectively.

India's treasury will see a substantial foreign exchange saving after the indigenisation of the products.

The two indigenised products were virtually launched by the Defence Minister from Delhi in the presence of Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Secretary (Defence) Dr Ajay Kumar, Secretary (Defence Production) Raj Kumar, senior officials from the Ministry of Defence and CMD, BDL Commodore Siddharth Mishra (Retd), Directors, CVO and senior officials present at Hyderabad.

Photo credits: ANI

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Launching NIIO

The Defence Minister on Thursday also launched the Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) through an online webinar. Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Adityanath and other dignitaries were also present at the event.

"The NIIO puts in place dedicated structures for the end-users to interact with academia and industry towards fostering innovation and indigenisation for self-reliance in defence in keeping with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat," said a press statement from the Ministry of Defence.

The NIIO is a three-tiered organisation with the Naval Technology Acceleration Council (N-TAC) bringing together the twin aspects of innovation and indigenisation, provide apex level directives. A working group under the N-TAC will implement the projects. A Technology Development Acceleration Cell (TDAC) has also been created for induction of emerging disruptive technology in an accelerated time frame, the press statement said.

According to the press statement, during the launch event, the Indian Navy signed Memorandums Of Understanding (MoUs) with Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA); Raksha Shakti University (RSU), Gujarat; Maker Village, Kochi; and, Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM).

Photo credit: ANI

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Giving the Atmanirbhar Bharat push in the Defence sector, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in a massive statement last week announced that the Ministry of Defence' embargo on imports of 101 items to boost indigenous defence production. Under the initiative, items worth almost Rs 1,30,000 crore each are anticipated for the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force while items worth almost Rs 1,40,000 crore are anticipated by the Indian Navy would be encouraged to be manufactured indigenously.

(With inputs from ANI)