Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 25

A two-day national conference on ‘Advances in Science and Technology: A Step Towards Make in India in Defence Sector’ concluded at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) here today.Indian Military Academy Commandant Lt Gen SK Upadhya, who delivered the presidential address of the conference, deliberated upon the importance of technology for the Army in times to come. “Indian Army is rapidly transforming into a modern, high technology force capable of meeting complex future challenges and be a formidable pillar of national security,” he said.The Army, aligning itself with Make in India initiative, has given impetus to achieving modernisation through indigenisation. “In the present era of high technology, warfare research and development in defence sector holds the key for indigenisation and independence from other countries for weapons and equipment,” he added.Lt Gen JP Singh (retd), former Deputy Chief of Army Staff & Adviser to DRDO, spoke on the CISR as a weapon on a networked battlefield. He appealed to scientists to support the Make in India initiative of the government.Issues pertaining to physical, chemical, mathematical, material, life, environmental, forest, medical and space sciences with special reference to Make in India in the defence sector were discussed in the conference.The objective of the conference was to bring eminent scientists, defence personnel and policy makers on a common platform so that they brainstorm and deliberate about research, development and applications of science and technology in defence. Delegates from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, IITs, NITs, DRDO, ISRO and various other reputed institutions attended the same.