Assam: Vision for aerospace & defence manufacturing takes flight

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: Today’s session titled ‘The Skies of Tomorrow: Aerospace and Defence Manufacturing in Assam’ explored Assam’s potential in the aerospace and defence manufacturing sector with a dynamic lineup of policymakers, industry leaders, and innovators.

The session began with context-setting and panel moderation by G. Satheesh Reddy, president of the Aeronautical Society of India, and ex-chairman of DRDO. He highlighted Assam’s potential in the aerospace sector and emphasized the critical role of innovation and collaboration.

Air Chief Marshal (Retd.) Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria praised the state government for its significant efforts in advancing the aerospace and defence sectors and commended the proactive steps taken to enhance the region’s capabilities in these industries.

Dr. Chandrika Kaushik, Director General, DRDO, highlighted that the research lab in Tezpur, Assam, is aimed at addressing the specific needs of the Indian Armed Forces. She stated the DRDO will provide assistance and facilitate integration with the industry ecosystem, supporting skill development, training, and testing centres as required, further strengthening the region’s defence capabilities.

Rajinder Singh Bhatia, the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) president, stated that SIDM is committed to supporting defence startups in Assam and would be happy to open a chapter of SIDM in Assam. He stressed the importance of investment sentiment to promote investment in the state and said that he could feel the change and that the situation was now ripe for take-off.

As the keynote speaker, Rupesh Gowala, Minister for Labour Welfare and Tea Tribes, Government of Assam, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fostering an ecosystem that supports aerospace and defence manufacturing in the state. He highlighted that under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam is rapidly growing and on its way to becoming a hub for aerospace and defence manufacturing.

He invited investors, manufacturers, startups, and technology leaders to collaborate in shaping India’s future aerospace and defence manufacturing hub.

The Principal Secretary (IT), Gopinath Narayan, gave a quick overview of the incentives offered under the Aerospace and Defence Manufacturing Policy 2025 of Assam, stating that these incentives were comparable to or better than the incentives offered by other states, and addressed the specific needs for encouraging investment in this sector within Assam.

Dr. Sarag J. Saikia, Founder & Chief Technologist of Spacefaring Technologies, shared that his company is already manufacturing critical components for fighter jets, which are being supplied to the Indian Armed Forces. He emphasized that Assam possesses all the resources needed to support his operations and that his planned investment in the state would lead to the manufacture of this component in the state in the coming months.

Manash Pratim Kakati, founder of Qoptars, highlighted Assam’s strategic location, noting that its proximity to Southeast Asia makes it an ideal hub for creating a strong industry ecosystem with international connections.

Prem Kumar Vishlawath, Founder & Chief Innovator of Marut Dronetech Pvt. Ltd. and an alumnus of IIT Guwahati, stressed the need and the potential for setting up testing facilities in Assam, which will give a boost to drones and other defence technologies to be established here.

 Also Read: Advantage Assam 2.0: Union Minister Piyush Goyal Highlights Assam’s Future Growth Prospects

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