Made in India military weapons and support systems

[Hindustani78]

Cabinet
15-December, 2017 17:33 IST
Cabinet approves special package for employment generation in leather and footwear sector

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the special package for employment generation in leather and footwear sector. The package involves implementation of Central Sector Scheme "Indian Footwear, Leather & Accessories Development Programme" with an approved expenditure of Rs. 2600 Crore over the three financial years from 2017-18 to 2019-20.

Major Impact:

The scheme would lead to development of infrastructure for the leather sector, address environment concerns specific to the leather sector, facilitate additional investments, employment generation and increase in production. Enhanced Tax incentive would attract large scale investments in the sector and reform in labour law in view of seasonal nature of the sector will support economies of scale.

The Special Package has the potential to generate 3.24 lakhs new jobs in 3 years and assist in formalization of 2 lakh jobs as cumulative impact in Footwear, Leather & Accessories Sector.

Details of the Indian Footwear, Leather & Accessories Development Programme

1. Human Resource Development (HRD) sub-scheme: HRD sub-scheme proposes to provide assistance for Placement Linked Skill Development training to unemployed persons @ Rs. 15,000 per person, for skill up-gradation training to employed workers @ Rs. 5,000 per employee and for training of trainers @ Rs. 2 lakh per person. The placement of 75% of trained persons is proposed to be mandatory for availing assistance related to skill development training component. The proposal under this sub-scheme is to train/skill 4.32 lakh unemployed persons, upgrade the skills of 75,000 existing employees and train 150 master trainers during the three years with proposed outlay of Rs. 696 crore.

1. Integrated Development of Leather Sector (IDLS) sub-scheme: IDLS sub-scheme proposes to incentivize investment and manufacturing including job creation by providing backend investment grant/subsidy @ 30% of the cost of new Plant and Machinery to Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and @ 20% of the cost of Plant and Machinery to other units for Modernization /technology upgradation in existing units and also for setting up of new units. The proposal under this sub-scheme is to incentivize 1000 units in Leather, Footwear and Accessories & Components sector during the three years with proposed outlay of Rs.425 crore.

1. Establishment of Institutional Facilities sub-scheme: The sub-scheme proposes to provide assistance to Footwear Design & Development Institute (FDDI) for upgradation of some of the existing campuses of FDDI into "Centres of Excellence" and establishing 3 new fully equipped skill centres alongside the upcoming Mega Leather Clusters, based on project proposals, with proposed outlay of Rs.147 crore for the three years.

1. Mega Leather, Footwear and Accessories Cluster (MLFAC) sub-scheme: The MLFAC sub-scheme aims at providing infrastructure support to the Leather, Footwear and Accessories Sector by establishment of Mega Leather, Footwear and Accessories Cluster. Graded assistance is proposed to be provided upto 50% of the eligible project cost, excluding cost of land with maximum Government assistance being limited to Rs. 125 crore. The outlay of Rs 360 crore has been proposed to support 3-4 new MLFACs, for the three years.

1. Leather Technology, Innovation and Environmental Issues sub-scheme: Under this sub-scheme, assistance is proposed to be provided for upgradation/installation of Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) @ 70% of the project cost. The sub-scheme will also provide support to national level sectoral industry council/ association and support for preparation of vision document for Leather Footwear and Accessories Sector. The proposed outlay for this sub-scheme is Rs. 782 crore for the three years.

1. Promotion of Indian Brands in Leather, Footwear and Accessories Sector sub-scheme: Under this sub-scheme, the eligible units approved for Brand Promotion are proposed to be assisted. The Government assistance is proposed to be 50% of total project cost subject to a limit of Rs.3 crore for each brand, each year for 3 years. The proposal under this sub-scheme is to promote 10 Indian brands in the international market in three years with proposed outlay of Rs. 90 crore.

1. Additional Employment Incentive for Leather, Footwear and Accessories Sector sub-scheme: Under this scheme, it is proposed to provide the employers' contribution of 3.67% to Employees' Provident Fund for all new employees in Leather, Footwear and Accessories sector, enrolling in EPFO for first 3 years of their employment. The sub-scheme would be applicable to employees with salary upto Rs.15,000/-. The proposed outlay is Rs. 100 crore to assist in formalization of approximately 2,00,000 jobs in the sectors.

The special package also includes measures for simplification of labour laws and incentives for employment generation, as under:

1. Enhancing Scope of Section 80JJAA of Income Tax Act: For providing deduction to Indian Company engaged in manufacture of goods in a factory towards additional wages paid for three years to new workman, the provisions of minimum 240 days employment in a year to a workman under Section 80JJAA of Income Tax Act would be further relaxed to 150 days for Footwear, Leather & Accessories Sector considering the seasonal nature of this sector.

1. Introduction of fixed term employment: In order to attract large scale investments at global scale, the regulatory framework for labour related issues is proposed to be addressed by introduction of Fixed Term Employment under Sub Section (1) of section 15 of Industrial Employment (Standing Order) Act, 1946 looking at the seasonal nature of Leather, Footwear and Accessories industry.

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[Hindustani78]

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india...ys-on-track/story-v43AJqg6JLlGnWLadyPQoM.html

The 155mm 39-calibre howitzers are being inducted to increase the Army’s capabilities in high altitudes, and will be deployed in the country’s northern and eastern sectors.

india Updated: Dec 16, 2017 12:53 IST

The gun was partly damaged when a 155mm artillery round misfired and exploded in its barrel during a drill at Rajasthan’s Pokhran firing ranges. The weapon, manufactured by BAE Systems, was one of the two howitzers that arrived in New Delhi this May as part of a Rs 5,000-crore contract in November 2016. It is a key component of the Army’s field artillery rationalisation plan (FARP), cleared in 1999.

India has ordered 145 howitzers to raise seven new regiments.The deal is part of the Army’s Rs 50,000-crore FARP, which seeks to equip 169 artillery regiments with a mix of nearly 3,000 guns over the next decade.

The indigenously developed 155mm 45-calibre Dhanush towed artillery gun also suffered mishaps during the trials. Here, 155mm denotes the diameter of the shell and calibre relates to the barrel length. The Army plans to buy 114 guns in the first phase and eventually induct 414 systems at a cost of over Rs 4,500 crore.

“Artillery modernisation is very much on course, despite a few glitches in firing Dhanush.While this will lead to delays, some outreach has been done for specialised agencies to identify the problems and rectify them for further trials,” said former Army vice-chief Lieutenant General AS Lamba, who was commissioned into the artillery.

The remaining 120 howitzers will be manufactured in the country under the government’s Make in India plan, in collaboration with Mahindra Defence.

The 155mm 39-calibre howitzers are being inducted to increase the Army’s capabilities in high altitudes, and will be deployed in the country’s northern and eastern sectors.

the Army’s expensive artillery upgrade plan, which has been moving at a slow pace. It lays the roadmap for inducting new 155mm weaponry, including tracked self-propelled guns, truck-mounted gun systems, towed artillery pieces and wheeled self-propelled guns.

“FARP has been put into place to a significant degree, and co-opted with the Army’s overall modernisation plans,” said Lamba.

Besides this, private sector defence major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and South Korean firm Hanwha Techwin are in the process of executing a Rs 5,000-crore contract for supplying 100 K9 VAJRA-T tracked self-propelled guns to the force. The contract was signed on April 21.

To be produced at Talegaon near Pune, the 155mm 52-calibre guns are likely to be delivered by 2021. The K9 has a range of 40 km.

The Army also plans to induct 1,580 towed artillery guns at a cost of Rs 12,460 crore. A 155mm 52-calibre towed system jointly developed by L&T against a gun developed by Bharat Forge.

A senior army officer said the project was being scrutinised by an expert committee, and a fresh set of comparative trials was on the anvil.

“This programme needs to be put in place at the earliest because the timeframe for the production of Dhanush guns may be longer than anticipated,” Lamba said.

Truck-mounted guns are another key requirement.

However, the project has made little progress despite the defence ministry granting its ‘acceptance of necessity’ (AoN) to a Rs 15,750-crore plan for buying 814 systems of the kind in November 2014. The AoN for weapons is the first step towards making the proposed procurements. The AoN for the truck-mounted gun systems has expired and a fresh file will need to be moved to restart the process, said another officer tracking the project.

“Artillery modernisation continues to stagnate despite sustained efforts by the Army and defence ministry,” said Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (retd), a military affairs expert and artillery veteran. “Since firepower will influence future battles in a more significant manner than ever before, fast-tracking it is critical.”

Kanwal said truck-mounted gun systems were vital for supporting offensive operations in semi-desert terrains.

The Army is also looking at inducting the indigenous 155mm 52-calibre Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), jointly developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation and the private sector. The ATAGS is currently undergoing trials.

“Dhanush and ATAGS represent a significant leap in indigenisation, and will address the Army’s requirements for towed guns,” Kanwal said.

Upgrading existing weapons is as important as buying new ones. Three entities are also competing for a Rs 720-crore order to upgrade the Army’s vintage 130mm artillery guns to the 155mm standard.

This ‘up-gunning’ move will increase the gun’s range and ability to deliver heavier explosives.

A bunch of past projects were hit by single-vendor situations, which is a strict no-no under India’s arms purchase policy, and suppliers being banned for wrongdoings. “The Army is offering full support to the ATAGS and Dhanush projects to achieve self reliance in critical artillery systems,” said another senior officer.



INDIA HAS ordered 145 M777 ultra-light howitzers to increase army’s high-altitude capabilities
COST: Rs 5,000 cr.

L&T are executing a contract to supply 100 K9 VAJRA-T tracked self-propelled guns
COST: Rs 5,000 cr

THE ARMY also plans to induct 1,580 towed artillery guns, for which comparative trials are underway
COST: Rs 12,460 cr

814 truck-mounted gun systems to support offensive operations in semi-desert terrains. COST: Rs 15,750 cr.

INDIA PLANS to induct 414 locally built Dhanush towed artillery guns. COST: Rs 4,500 cr

THE ARMY’S vintage 130mm artillery guns are being upgraded to 155mm standard to increase their range and ability to deliver heavier explosives COST: Rs 720 cr

 

[Hindustani78]

Visakhapatnam, December 17, 2017 12:57 IST
Updated: December 17, 2017 13:01 IST

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...-sitharaman/article21826335.ece?homepage=true

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said that the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has a great role in realising the ‘Make in India’ vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

She was speaking at a programme organised for ’Transfer of the DRDO Developed Technologies to Industry’ at the Naval Science and Technology Laboratory (NSTL).

The NSTL is a premier naval systems lab of the DRDO in the port city.

Ms. Sitharaman complimented the DRDO scientists for the outstanding work in realising critical defence systems. “The DRDO has a great role to play in realising the ‘Make in India’ vision of the prime minister,” she said.

The minister said she was confident that the DRDO will rise to the challenge and transform India into a major exporter of defence systems, according to a release issued by the NSTL.

Ms. Sitharaman was the chief guest at the programme.

’Make in India’ is a flagship initiative of the NDA government to make the position of the country as a manufacturing hub.

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VISAKHAPATNAM, December 16, 2017 23:43 IST
Updated: December 17, 2017 09:54 IST
http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...to-reduce-defence-imports/article21824088.ece

52 DRDO labs should come up with at least two models: Defence Minister

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman urged the scientists of NSTL (Naval Science and Technology Laboratory), which is part of DRDO, to put in their best to develop more innovative technology so that defence equipment and weapons can be developed indigenously thus reducing the thrust of defence imports.

She was speaking at a function on transfer of technology to industry (ToT), here at NSTL in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.

“You have the potential and scope to scale up your efforts and bring out newer things. There is no shortage of capability and capacity and your efforts will take us towards realising the ‘make in India’ dream,” she said.

The Defence Minister went ahead to say that DRDO need not keep everything secretive and under cloud. “What is necessary keep them shrouded in secrecy, but you can always showcase the ones that have commercial value. We need to increase our defence exports and at the same time we need to show our countrymen what you are designing with the tax-payers money,” said Ms. Sitharaman.

The Defence Minister urged DRDO Chairman S. Christopher to ask all the 52 DRDO labs to come up with at least two models to be showcased at the upcoming Defence Expo in New Delhi.

“I will allot stalls to all the 52 labs in the expo, but you have come up with innovative models. NSTL has only three patents so far and it needs to be improved,” she said.

Earlier, she handed over the ToT documents to Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Dynamics Limited V. Uday Bhaskar for light weight torpedoes for Myanmar exports, to CMD of Bharat Electronics Limited V. Goutama and vice-president (Defence Projects) of L&T S. Ranganathan for interface technology for integrated ASW (Anti submarine warfare) Suite and Fire System and to Dr. A. Vidyasagar, CMD of Avantel for ejection mechanism for floating recorders.

NSTL Director G.R. Nandagopal informed that the ToT was valued at ₹12.1 crore.

Dr. S.V. Kamat, DG Naval System, was present.

 

[Hindustani78]

The Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Anantkumar Hegde witnessing the signing ceremony of an MoU between D.G.T. (Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship) and Maruti Suzuki India Limited for High Employment Potential Trades, in New Delhi on December 18, 2017.

The Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Anantkumar Hegde witnessing the signing ceremony of an MoU between D.G.T. (Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship) and Maruti Suzuki India Limited for High Employment Potential Trades, in New Delhi on December 18, 2017.

The Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Anantkumar Hegde addressing at the signing ceremony of an MoU between D.G.T. (Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship) and Maruti Suzuki India Limited for High Employment Potential Trades, in New Delhi on December 18, 2017.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Defence
20-December, 2017 18:05 IST
Manufacturing of Ammunition for Indian Army by Indian Industry

As another step in the direction of ‘Make in India’ in Defence sector and to facilitate development of indigenous capacity, reduce import dependence and with the long-term objective of building capacity within the industry as a robust alternative source of ammunition, the Government has approved manufacturing of eight selected ammunition for Indian Army by Indian Industry.

These eight in-service ammunition are proposed to be manufactured by Indian industry. As the indigenous manufacturer will be required to set up a new establishment for manufacture of ammunition, Raksha Mantri Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman has approved a long term contract of 10 years with the selected ammunition manufacturer, to facilitate a viable commercial model, will be entered into.

Individual Indian companies, as per Indian Companies Act 2013, with foreign equity not exceeding 49%, owned and controlled by resident Indian citizens; Consortium consisting of only Indian companies and wholly owned subsidiary Company, are eligible to participate.

The selection of manufacturer will be through an Open Tender Enquiry under two bid system. Companies are allowed to bid for any number of ammunition types. However, a company will be awarded not more than three contracts.

The prospective manufacturer will be free to select their technology partners, negotiate and obtain transfer of technology (ToT). The technology partners could be indigenous or foreign manufacturer, as per the discretion of participating entities.

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Ministry of Defence
20-December, 2017 17:01 IST
MOU Under Make In India Programme

The following agreements have been signed by Government of India under ‘Make in India’ initiative:

Sr. No.
Country
Details of Agreement
Date of Signing

1.
Russia
Agreement between the Government of Russian Federation and the Government of Republic of India for construction of follow-on-ships of Project 1135.6 in Russia and in India.
15.10.2016

2.
Russia
Agreement between the Government of Republic of India and the Government of Russian Federation on cooperation in the field of Helicopter Engineering.
24.12.2015


In the last three financial years i.e. 2014-15 to 2016-17, the Government has accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for total 148 capital acquisition proposals, out of which 105 proposals worth Rs. 2,33,000/- Crore approximately have been categorised as ‘Buy (Indian-IDDM)’, ‘Buy (Indian)’, ‘Buy and Make (Indian)’ or ‘Make’ categories, which means Request for Proposal (RFP) shall be issued only to Indian Vendors. Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) stipulates a broad time frame of about 86-126 weeks to complete various stages of procurement cycle.

This information was given by Raksha Rajya Mantri Dr. Subhash Bhamre in a written reply to Shrimati Meenakashi Lekhi in Lok Sabha today.

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Ministry of Defence
20-December, 2017 16:43 IST
Private Sector Participation

Some of the major initiatives taken by the Government during the last three years to promote private sector participation in the manufacturing of sophisticated weapons systems and armament are enumerated below:-

· Indian companies are allowed for tie-ups with a foreign Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for Transfer of Technology (ToT) under ‘Buy & Make (Indian)’ category of Capital Acquisition.

· Under ‘Buy & Make’ category of Capital Acquisition, the foreign vendor is required to transfer the Technology to Indian Production agency for indigenous production of the items. Provisions have also been made to allow Foreign OEM to select Indian Production agency of its choice for transfer of technology.

· Under the Make category, Government has made provisions for design and development of defence equipment / platforms by Indian companies through harnessing of critical technologies and use of readily available commercial, military or dual-use mature technologies.

· The Government has notified the ‘Strategic Partnership (SP)’ Model which envisages establishment of long-term strategic partnerships with Indian entity through a transparent and competitive process, wherein they would tie up with global OEMs to seek technology transfers to set up domestic manufacturing infrastructure and supply chains.

· In order to facilitate collaborations between Indian and foreign companies so as to have technology transfer from foreign to Indian companies, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy for defence has been revised and under the revised policy, FDI upto 49% is allowed through automatic route and beyond 49% under Government approval route wherever it is likely to result in access to modern technology or for other reasons to be recorded.

· Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has issued Guidelines for ToT which provide for an institutional mechanism for transfer of technology developed by DRDO both to public and private sector companies.


· Government of India has also set up the ‘Technology Development Fund (TDF)’ which aims at funding the development of defence and dual use technologies that are currently not available with the Indian defence industry, or have not been developed so far. The funding is to public and private sector industry especially MSMEs that may work in collaboration with the academia or research institutions to carry out innovation, research and development.

FDI Policy is subject to industrial license and Industrial Licenses are granted by Licensing Committee in Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), which takes into account the security clearance of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), comments of Ministry of Defence (MoD) etc. Besides, one of the conditions of license is to adhere to the Security Manual guidelines by the Licenses Defence Companies. The Security Manual prescribe detailed guidelines on physical, information, documentation, cyber and personal security aspects. The manual also prescribes for security audit of such companies by Intelligence Bureau.

Under Strategic Partnership model, SP is expected to play the role of a System Integrator by building an extensive eco-system comprising development partners, specialised vendors and suppliers, particularly MSME sector. To manufacture major Defence platforms, the SP is required tie-ups with Foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to cover manufacturing, transfer of technology, assistance in training skilled human resources and other support.

The Strategic Partner when appointed should be an Indian company (as defined under the Companies Act, 2013), owned and controlled by resident Indian citizens. The Strategic Partner is required to enter into relevant tie-ups with foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) to cover manufacturing, transfer of technology, assistance in training skilled human resources and other support. For the selection of Foreign OEMs, ToT is one of the main factors, the quantum and scope of Technology being offered for transfer by the OEMs is a primary consideration in the selection procedure, besides compliance to Services Qualitative

Requirement. Towards this, the shortlisting of OEM inter-alia take into consideration the following factors:

· Range, depth and scope of technology transfer offered in identified areas.

· Extent of indigenous content proposed.

· Extent of eco-system of Indian vendors / manufacturers proposed.

· Measures to support SP in establishing system for integration of platforms.

· Plans to train skilled manpower.

· Extent of future R&D planned in India.

This information was given by Raksha Rajya Mantri Dr. Subhash Bhamre in a written reply to Dr. Ratna De (Nag) in Lok Sabha today.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises

21-December, 2017 14:59 IST


Research and development in battery for electric vehicles

Government has formulated a Mission Plan for electric vehicles (including hybrid vehicles) viz. National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 (NEMMP 2020). The NEMMP 2020 provides a road map for facilitating the manufacture and use of electric and hybrid vehicles through a series of interventions in order to support R&D in technology including battery technology, create demand for such vehicles, and to enhance manufacturing of such vehicles significantly by the year 2020. Under NEMMP, the Government has an ambitious target to achieve 6-7 million sales of hybrid and electric vehicles by 2020.

As part of the mission, Department of Heavy Industry has notified a FAME India Scheme [Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India] for implementation with effect from 1st April 2015. The scheme is proposed to be implemented over a period of 6 years till 2020, wherein it is intended to support the hybrid/electric vehicles market development and its manufacturing eco-system to achieve self-sustenance at the end of stipulated period. At present, the Phase-I of the scheme is under implementation, which was originally for a period of 2 years till 31st March 2017 but has been extended further till 31st March 2018.The scheme is being implemented through four focus areas namely Technology Development (R&D); Pilot Project; Charging Infrastructure and Demand Creation.

Department of Heavy Industry has, however, not undertaken any specific study to assess the yearly requirement of battery capacity to meet this demand.

As per FAME India Scheme [ Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India], specific projects received under Technology Development (R&D), including battery technology / charging infrastructure are considered & approved for funding by the Government. The list of projects approved for funding to help in development of battery technologies is given below:



S.No.
Name of the Project
Name of the Operating Agency
Grant Already released from FAME-India Scheme
Committed Expenditure



1
Technical Development Project for advanced Gen-IV Lead Acid Battery & Gen-Nickel-Zinc Battery for EVs

Non-Ferrous Materials Technology Development Centre (NFTDC), Hyderabad
Rs. 2,44,00,000/-
Rs. 1,56,00,000/-

2
Proposal received under IMPRINT initiative of MoHRD for Hierarchical Nanostructure Carbon Materials Derived from Candle Soot and Graphine for High Rate & High Performance Electrodes for Automotive Batteries and Supercapacitors [Development of Rechargeable Lithium Ion Battery]

Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur

Rs. 61,46,000/-
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Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises
21-December, 2017 14:57 IST
Diversification of portfolios by PSUs

Proposals for diversification of portfolios to maintain business performance are taken up by the Boards of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) with the approval of competent authority after considering their techno-economic feasibility and viability. In addition, the Boards of Maharatna and Navratna CPSEs have been delegated powers, inter-alia, to (i) incur capital expenditure without Government approval on purchase of new items or for replacement, to take up new projects, modernization, etc., (ii) make equity investment to establish financial joint ventures and wholly owned subsidiaries, and (iii) undertake mergers & acquisitions subject to laid down conditions. The Boards of Maharatna and Navratna CPSEs have also been delegated powers to raise debt from domestic and international markets.

This information was given by Minister of State in the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Shri Babul Supriyo in reply to a written question in the Rajya Sabha today.

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Ministry of Power
21-December, 2017 16:46 IST
Contracts awarded, after Open Tender, to Tata Motors Ltd. for 250 e-cars and Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. for 150 e-cars

Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Shri Raj Kumar Singh, in a written reply to a question on status of procurement of e-vehicles in the country, in Lok Sabha today informed that Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), under Ministry of Power, plans to procure 10000 e-vehicles through demand aggregation. Bids were invited via open tender and under Phase-I and contracts have been awarded to Tata Motors Ltd. for 250 e-cars and M/s Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. for 150 e-cars which includes five years Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC).

EESL will provide these vehicles on lease to replace the existing petrol and diesel vehicles taken on lease by various Government organizations and charge lease rent from these organizations, the Minister added.

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NITI Aayog
21-December, 2017 20:00 IST
Combined Methanol Task Force Meeting takes stock of efforts to explore and give a push to Methanol economy

A Combined meeting of the four task forces on Methanol was held under the chairmanship of Member, NITI Aayog, Dr.V.K.Saraswat in the capital today. The task forces comprised of experts, scientists and academicians took stock of the progress in the efforts to explore and give a push to Methanol economy in the country.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Chairman of the Methanol Task Force group and Member, NITI Aayog, Dr.V.K.Saraswat said Methanol has emerged as a clean, cheaper, safer and pollution free energy option which can be used for transportation fuels and cooking fuel. India has the potential to undertake the production of Methanol from high ash coal using indigenous technology with the help of industry.

Besides existing facilities can be ramped up to convert the high ash coal, stranded gas, and Biomass into Methanol. He added that by upscaling the production of Methanol, India can reduce its crude oil import bill substantially. Dr. Saraswat emphasized that Methanol would supplement various energy solutions being explored by the Government to reduce its dependence on crude oil imports.

Methanol is a clear and colorless liquid produced from natural gas, coal and renewable biomass including the solid waste. Experts in the Methanol Task Force are of the opinion that in collaboration with various agencies, academia and industry the objectives of Methanol production and upscaling are feasible based on availability of the resources and technology. The four task forces were set up six months ago and since then a series of meetings and deliberations have taken place to explore and give a push to methanol economy in the country.

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Ministry of Finance
22-December, 2017 16:48 IST
Easy loans to MSMEs

Government has taken several steps to extend easy loans to MSMEs, which inter-alia include, advise to all Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) to achieve a 20% year-on-year growth in credit to Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) to ensure enhanced credit flow, allocation of 60% of the MSEs advances to the micro enterprise accounts, a 10% annual growth in number of micro enterprise accounts, adoption of one cluster, operationalising at least one specialised MSME Branch in every district etc. In addition, a target of 7.5% of Adjusted Net Bank Credit (ANBC) has been prescribed for Micro Enterprises. SCBs have been mandated not to accept collateral security in the case of loans up to Rs.10 lakh extended to units in the MSE sector and computation of working capital requirements of MSE units has been simplified to make it minimum 20% of the projected annual turnover of the unit.

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has also launched the ‘Udyamimitra’ Portal (www.udyamimitra.in) as a universal loan portal to improve accessibility of credit and handholding services to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Through the portal, entrepreneurs can apply online for MSME loans upto Rs.2 crore without physically visiting bank branches. Various Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs), Non-Banking Financial Companies, Small Finance Banks and Financial Technology (Fintech) companies have been boarded on the portal.

This information was shared by Shri Shiv Pratap Shukla, Minister of State for Finance in Lok Sabha today.



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[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...oject-to-nation-on-dec-27/article22262590.ece

Plan to give connections to 25 lakh families in State

The Andhra Pradesh Fiber Grid Limited (APFGL) is planning to give connections to 25 lakh families in the State. President Ram Nath Kovind will dedicate the AP Fiber Grid Project to the nation at the Secretariat on December 27.

The President will also launch the associated projects such as Surveillance, Drones and the Virtual Classes during his visit to the State, said APFGL Managing Director Babu A.

Trunk lines

Fiber Grid will offer IPTV at ₹149, 15 MBPS internet bandwidth and two telephones for each connection. On December 27, the project will be launched by offering the facility to 1.1 lakh families in the State, the MD said. “We laid trunk lines covering 24,000 kilometres and by March end next year, plans are afoot to cover 25 lakh families in 9,000 villages. Beneficiaries can use the internet services for agriculture, health, education, banking, e-governance and citizen-centric services,” Mr. Babu said. According to a survey, usage of data has increased by 10% in the country.

The AP Fiber Grid Project will pave the way for many other digital projects in the State, he said.

 

[Water Car Engineer]

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Defence
16-January, 2018 18:26 IST

DAC simplifies procedure to develop defence equipment through Indian Industry; clears procurements of assault rifles and carbines worth Rs 3,547 crore

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Raksha Mantri Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, met today and simplified ‘Make II’ procedure, which prescribes guidelines to be followed to develop and manufacture defence equipment through Indian Industry. The DAC also cleared procurement of 72,400 assault rifles and 93,895 carbines on fast track basis for Rs 3,547 crore to enable the Defence Forces to meet their immediate requirement for the troops deployed on the borders.

To encourage participation of private sector in defence design and production and to give a boost to ‘Make in India’ programme, the Council today introduced significant changes in the ‘Make II’ category of the Defence Procurement Procedure. Considering that no government funding is involved in ‘Make II’ project, the DAC simplified the procedure to make it industry friendly, with minimal government control. The salient aspects of the revised procedure will now allow Ministry of Defence to accept suo-motu proposals from the industry and also allows start-ups to develop equipment for Indian Armed Forces. The minimum qualification criteria to participate in ‘Make II’ projects has also been relaxed by removing conditions related to credit rating and reducing financial net worth criteria.

As per the earlier ‘Make II’ procedure, only two vendors were shortlisted to develop prototype equipment. Now, all vendors meeting the relaxed eligibility criteria will be allowed to participate in the prototype development process. The vendor will not be required to submit Detailed Project Report. After accord of approval of the ‘Make II’ project by the council, all clearances will be accorded at Service HQ (SHQ) level.

To hand-hold industry and start-ups, SHQs will now setup project facilitation teams to act as the primary interface between the SHQ and the industry during the design and development stage. These teams would provide technical inputs, trial infrastructure and other facilities as required by the vendor. Even if a single individual or firm offers innovative solutions, the SHQ will now have the option to accept and process the vendor’s development initiative. SHQs will be allowed to hire domain experts/consultants from private sector to increase outreach and enhance awareness among the industry.

Most importantly, there will be no foreclosure of project after the project is sanctioned, except on default by the vendor, to ensure that the successful vendor has assured orders.

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http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...es-carbines/article22451650.ece?homepage=true

High power: The plan is to import a high-tech rifle in small numbers for the soldiers on the front lines. | Photo Credit: Nissar Ahmad

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...es-carbines/article22451650.ece?homepage=true

Government-to-government deal for much-awaited buys

The Defence Ministry on Tuesday cleared the procurement of 72,400 assault rifles and 93,895 close quarter battle (CQB) carbines for the Army on a fast-track basis. Both the deals had been repeatedly cancelled in the past.

“The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) also cleared procurement of 72,400 assault rifles and 93,895 carbines on fast-track basis for ₹3,547 crore to enable the defence forces to meet their immediate requirement for the troops deployed on the borders,” the Ministry said in a statement. The assault rifles will be of 7.62mm calibre, while the carbines will be of 5.56mm calibre.

Faster purchase

The proposals are likely to be processed under the government-to-government route to conclude the deals at the earliest.

Last week, the Chief of the Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat, said that to meet the immediate requirement and keeping cost in mind, the Army had decided to go for two different rifles — import a high-tech rifle in small numbers for the infantry soldiers on the front lines and procure the indigenous rifle in large numbers to meet the balance requirement.

“Procurement of assault rifles got delayed due to change in the GSQR. We are now going for procurement of an assault rifle with 500-m range with night -ision capability,” Gen. Rawat said.

In another decision, the DAC chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman simplified the ‘Make II’ procedure, which prescribes guidelines “to develop and manufacture defence equipment through Indian industry”.

“The salient aspects of the revised procedure will now allow the Ministry of Defence to accept suo motu proposals from the industry and also allows start-ups to develop equipment for the armed forces. The minimum qualification criteria to participate in the ‘Make II’ projects hace also been relaxed by removing conditions related to credit rating and reducing financial net worth criteria,” the statement said.

Now all vendors meeting the criteria will be allowed to participate in the prototype development process instead of only two vendors earlier. In addition there is no need to submit detailed project report.

After the accord of approval by the Council, all clearances will be accorded by the Service Head-Quarters (SHQ) which will also set up project facilitation teams to hand-hold the industry.

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http://www.thehindu.com/business/In...r-logistics/article22451783.ece?homepage=true
New Delhi, January 16, 2018 22:43 IST
Updated: January 16, 2018 22:51 IST

The Logistics Division of the Commerce Ministry on Tuesday signed an agreement with industry body CII to address challenges facing the country’s logistics sector and help take measures to bring down costs.

Logistics costs in India, at 13-14% of GDP, are higher than those in developed countries. The Ministry said it aimed to establish a Logistics Working Group with a co-chairperson from the CII Institute of Logistics, a centre of excellence working on logistics and supply chain management. As per the MoU, CII will identify logistics challenges facing industry and suggest action solutions to the Logistics Division, according to a CII statement. It will also interact with state governments and work on promoting the logistics sector, along with capacity building programs. The two sides will cooperate in organising a National Logistics convention each year to bring together stakeholders in the sector, the statement said.

The World Bank Logistics Performance Index ranked India 35 in 2016 as compared to 54 in 2014.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Defence
17-January, 2018 15:58 IST
Simplified ‘Make-II’: Major Steps Towards ‘Make in India’ in Defence Production

As a major boost to ‘Make in India’ in Defence, the Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by Raksha Mantri Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, in its meeting on 16 January 2018, has cleared a simplified ‘Make-II’ procedure which will enable greater participation of industry in acquisition of defence equipment. This process will greatly help import substitution and promote innovative solutions. This simplified ‘Make-II’ procedure will amend the existing ‘Make Procedure’ in Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP)-2016.

The revised procedure has been finalized after a series of consultations held with industry. The salient features of the new ‘Make-II’ procedure include the following:

• The industry can suggest projects, especially among those items which are currently being imported. Start-ups or individuals can also suggest proposals. Service Headquarters will also list out a series of projects which can be undertaken as ‘Make-II’ projects under the new procedure.

• The potential ‘Make-II’ projects will be approved by a collegiate comprising of DRDO, HQ (IDS), Department of Defence under a committee chaired by Secretary (Defence Production). Based on the in-principle approval agreed by this committee, the projects will be hosted on Ministry of Defence/Department of Defence Production’s website inviting industry to participate.

• There will be no limit to the number of industry who may respond to the EoI for development of the prototype subject to meeting the minimum qualification criteria. The design and development time of 12 to 30 weeks is granted to industry to offer the prototypes.

• There is no limit to the number of industry players who may show interest and offer prototype.

• After this period, a commercial RFP will be issued. Once the RFP is issued, it shall not be retracted. The industry who wins the bid, is assured of an order.

• Service Headquarter (SHQ) will constitute a Project Facilitation Team for facilitating the process under this procedure.

• The case will be progressed even if there is single entity offering an innovative solution.

• The industry who develops the product will retain the title and ownership and all other rights in intellectual property. However, for some specified reasons like National Security, Government shall have ‘March-in’ rights.

• Normally, there shall be no negotiations by Contract Negotiation Committee (CNC) in multi-vendor contracts.

• ‘Make-II’ procedure reduces the total time from in-principle approval to placing of order by 50 percent. The estimated time to finish the whole process has come down to 69 to 103 weeks.

• Projects involving developmental cost of less than three crores will be reserved for MSME.
  

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Ministry of Defence
17-January, 2018 16:31 IST
‘Defence Industry Development Meet’- Forging New Partnership with Industry for Defence Production

The Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence is organising a two-day ‘Defence Industry Development Meet’ at Chennai from January 18, 2018.

The event will be inaugurated by Raksha Mantri Smt Nirmala Sitharaman in the august presence of Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Shri Edappadi K Palaniswami. Senior officials from Ministry of Defence, State Government, Services, Chairman OFB, CMDs of DPSUs, senior executives of DPSUs/OFB and private industries will be present during the event.

The Governor of Tamil Nadu Shri Banwarilal Purohit and Raksha Rajya Mantri Dr. Subhash Bhamre will attend the valedictory function scheduled on 19 January 2018.

The objective of the Meet is to forge new partnerships with private industry with the aim to achieve self-reliance in defence production under the overarching ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Government.

The meet will focus on indigenization, import substitution and technology infusion. The event is part of the Ministry’s initiative to encourage and facilitate participation of private industries especially MSMEs in Defence manufacturing.



The event will provide private firms/companies, especially vendors from Tamil Nadu region an overview of the existing defence procurement policy, indigenization and outsourcing procedures of DPSUs/OFB and update them on the recent Government policy initiatives to promote indigenization and outsourcing and the opportunities thereon.

The highlights of the Meet are as follows:-

• 700 plus vendors are likely to participate.
• Presentations/theme based Breakout sessions scheduled to address the concerns of the Private Industry and to provide an opportunity to interact with DPSUs/MoD officials to clarify their individual queries. Breakout sessions on aerospace, land systems and naval equipment are planned during the Meet.
• Defence Exhibition – Stalls by DPSUs/OFB, will be set-up at the venue, showcasing items to be indigenized by Private Industry/MSMEs. A dedicated stall will also be earmarked for MSMEs from Tamil Nadu to showcase their products/capabilities.
• Indian Army, Navy and Air Force will project their requirements, especially related to MSMEs for indigenization.
• This meet will provide unique opportunity to vendors to interact with the DPSUs/OFB and understand their requirements and their procurement procedures/processes etc. At the same time DPSUs / OFB will get an insight into the capabilities of the private industries in the market to enhance their outsourcing avenues.
• The Meet will not only strengthen the existing partnership but also provide scope for new collaborations during the two-day event.
• This event is expected to bring all Tamil Nadu defence related vendors and suppliers under one roof and facilitate creation of an aerospace and defence ecosystem in the region.

 

[Hindustani78]

Flying high: The LCA in flight. Industry now have more opportunities to participate in defence production.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/make-ii-promise-for-arms-firms/article22458134.ece
NEW DELHI , January 17, 2018 22:01 IST
Updated: January 17, 2018 22:01 IST
Indian industry can suggest projects related to sub-systems for innovation

Indian industry can suggest projects related to sub-systems for innovation and import substitution under the revised Make-II procedure in the Defence Procurement Procedure, the Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.

“The potential ‘Make-II’ projects will be approved by a collegiate comprising the DRDO, Headquarter Integrated Defence Staff and Department of Defence under a committee chaired by Secretary, Defence Production,” the Ministry said in a statement.

Start-ups welcome

Even start-ups or individuals can propose projects. The Service Headquarters will soon come with a list of projects which can be undertaken under the new procedure. Companies would get design and development time of 12 to 30 weeks to offer prototypes and there is no limit to the number of companies which can respond to the Expression of Interest (EoI).

Speaking at the ongoing Raisina Dialogue, Secretary, Defence Production Ajay Kumar said that under the new proposal, the time taken to place orders from the proposal stage would be reduced by 50%. After the development period, the Request for Proposal would be issued to all qualifying companies.

“Once issued, the RFP cannot be retracted. The company which wins the bid, is assured of an order,” a senior official said.

He stated that even in the case of a single vendor situation, the tender would go through. The estimated time to finish the whole process has come down to 69 to 103 weeks. There would also be no negotiations under the Contract Negotiation Committee (CNC).

There are are already 40-50 projects which are being looked at including advanced gun barrels for T-72 tanks and chaff and flare systems, the official added.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Defence
18-January, 2018 18:36 IST
Defence Industry Development Meet

Forging new partnership with industry for defence production

The two day ‘Defence Industry Development Meet’ organised by Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence (MoD) was inaugurated by RakshaMantriSmtNirmalaSitharaman in the august presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Shri Edappadi K. Palaniswami at KalaivanarArangam in Chennai today.

The objective of the Meet is to forge new partnerships with private industry with the aim to achieve self-reliance in defence production under the overarching ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Union Government.

The meet will focus on indigenisation, import substitution and technology infusion. The event is part of the Ministry’s initiative to encourage and facilitate participation of private industries especially MSMEs in Defence Manufacturing.

The event will provide private firms/companies especially vendors from Tamil Nadu region an overview of the existing defence procurement policy, indigenisation and outsourcing procedures of DPSUs/OFB and update them on the recent Government policy initiatives to promote indigenisation and outsourcing and the opportunities thereon.

Speaking on the occasion, SmtSitharaman announced that the next Defence Expo would be organised in Chennai between April 11 and 14, 2018.

Senior Officials from Ministry of Defence, State Government, Services, Chairman OFB, CMDs of DPSUs, senior executives of DPSUs/OFB and private industries attended the inaugural function. Governor of Tamil Nadu Shri BanwarilalPurohitand RakshaRajyaMantri Dr Subhash Bhamre will attend the valedictory function scheduled on January 19, 2018.

Highlights of Event on 18 January, 2018

• The Department of Defence Production presented policy initiatives for supporting Indian vendors especially MSME in the field of Defence Production.

• Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) showcased the technologies, which are available for the private sector for commercial exploitation. RakshaMantri handed over three representative Transfer of Technology agreements of DRDO to Industry – one each for the Army, Navy and the Air force.
• HAL, BEL, BEML, BDL, MIDHANI showcased over 50 products for indigenisation by the industry.
• OFB offered more than 20 products to vendors for indigenisation.
• MDL, GRSE, GSL showcased vendor development opportunities.
• RakshaMantri released the simplified ‘Make-II’ procedure, which stipulates relaxed eligibility criteria, minimal documentation, provisions for suo-motu proposals from individuals/industry, particularly for innovative solutions and relaxed eligibility criteria for start-ups. This procedure envisages for assurance of order on successful development of prototype.
• RakshaMantri launched Defence Investor Cell being set up by Department of Defence Production, which will facilitate the investment in defence production sector. The Defence Investor Cell will directly interact with all interested investors with regard to potential investment and the queries related to policy and the projects handled by the MoD.

• More than 1,000 vendors are participating in the two day event.

• The Indian Army, Navy and the Air Force are projecting their requirements, especially related to MSMEs, for indigenisation.

• Ministry of MSME presented the policy initiatives to support MSME.
• Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion brought out the initiatives taken by the Government for ‘ease of doing business’ processes and issues related to licensing of defence products.
• Ministry of Home Affairs presented their requirement for police and paramilitary forces.
• The Meet will not only strengthen the existing partnership but also provide scope for new collaborations during the two-day event.
• DPSUs/OFB are providing facility for on-the-spot vendor registration for prospective vendors for supplying defence needs.
• This event has brought all defence related vendors and suppliers of Tamil Nadu and other parts under one roof and will facilitate creation of an aerospace &defence ecosystem in the region.
• RakshaMantri also highlighted the recent policy initiatives including ‘Make-II’ procedure released by the government on January 16, 2018, Defence Innovation Hub for Coimbatore, CODDISSIA and Defence Investor Cell. She said more initiatives to promote ‘Make in India’ in defence would be taken up.

The Union Minister for Defence, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurating the Defence Investor Cell Portal, at the inauguration of the Defence Industry Development Meet for Forging New Partnership with Industry for Defence Production, at Kalaivanar Arangam, Chennai on January 18, 2018. The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Shri Edappadi K. Palaniswami and other dignitaries are also seen.

The Union Minister for Defence, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman releasing the two books titled “Simplify Make Procedure” and “Defence Exports from India”, at the inauguration of the Defence Industry Development Meet for Forging New Partnership with Industry for Defence Production, at Kalaivanar Arangam, Chennai on January 18, 2018. The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Shri Edappadi K. Palaniswami and other dignitaries are also seen.

The Union Minister for Defence, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman handing over three Transfer of Technology agreements of DRDO to Industry – one each for the Army, Navy and the Air Force, at the inauguration of the Defence Industry Development Meet for Forging New Partnership with Industry for Defence Production, at Kalaivanar Arangam, Chennai on January 18, 2018.

The Union Minister for Defence, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman handing over three Transfer of Technology agreements of DRDO to Industry – one each for the Army, Navy and the Air Force, at the inauguration of the Defence Industry Development Meet for Forging New Partnership with Industry for Defence Production, at Kalaivanar Arangam, Chennai on January 18, 2018.

The Union Minister for Defence, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman handing over three Transfer of Technology agreements of DRDO to Industry – one each for the Army, Navy and the Air Force, at the inauguration of the Defence Industry Development Meet for Forging New Partnership with Industry for Defence Production, at Kalaivanar Arangam, Chennai on January 18, 2018.

The Union Minister for Defence, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman at the stalls of exhibition of Defence production vendors, at the inauguration of the Defence Industry Development Meet for Forging New Partnership with Industry for Defence Production, at Kalaivanar Arangam, Chennai on January 18, 2018. The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Shri Edappadi K. Palaniswami is also seen.

The Union Minister for Defence, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman at the stalls of exhibition of Defence production vendors, at the inauguration of the Defence Industry Development Meet for Forging New Partnership with Industry for Defence Production, at Kalaivanar Arangam, Chennai on January 18, 2018. The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Shri Edappadi K. Palaniswami is also seen.

The Union Minister for Defence, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman addressing the gathering at the inauguration of the Defence Industry Development Meet for Forging New Partnership with Industry for Defence Production, at Kalaivanar Arangam, Chennai on January 18, 2018.

The Union Minister for Defence, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman interacting with the media at the the Defence Industry Development Meet for Forging New Partnership with Industry for Defence Production, at Kalaivanar Arangam, Chennai on January 18, 2018.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/made-in-ap-drone-launched/article22475610.ece
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu launched a drone jointly manufactured by the A.P. Innovation Society and Omnipresent Robot Tech, at the Collectors’ conference on Friday.

Utility

Minister of IT N. Lokesh and Principal Secretary (IT) K. Vijayanand told Mr. Naidu that the drone was made in Visakhapatnam and it would be first deployed for capturing the progress of rural roads and used for other applications in due course.

Mr. Vijayanand said, these devices, branded as ‘Amaravati drones,’ have an endurance of 40 minutes and can carry payloads of up to one kg, and they could be custom-made to suit the requirements of various user departments. Besides, by using the drones for training purpose, the State could generate revenue.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india...ent-process/story-xjndN7YKjc6CdyheI5AV0I.html
Providing ‘local content’ percentage made mandatory for Railways procurement process

Railways in fact was in the eye of a storm when domestic steel producers had objected to the ministry’s decision to buy rails through a global tender on December 18 for the first time.

india Updated: Jan 20, 2018 12:32 IST
Press Trust of India, New Delhi

People crossing railway track, instead of footover Bridge. (HT File Photo)


Less than a month after the PMO expressed its displeasure over the non-compliance of ‘Make In India’ policy by certain departments, the Railways has made mentioning percentage of ‘local content’ mandatory for bidders to qualify for the procurement process.

The Railways board, in a letter dated January 12, said, in order to ensure compliance of the Public Procurement (Make in India) Order 2017, bidders would have to mandatorily provide details of ‘local content’ or elements of domestic manufacturing in the offer form on the e-procurement website for all types of tenders, before quoting rates.

Railways in fact was in the eye of a storm when domestic steel producers had objected to the ministry’s decision to buy rails through a global tender on December 18 for the first time.

It led to the rail and the steel ministries locking horns, with the latter alleging that the move towards a global tender was against the ‘Make in India’ policy.

The government issued the Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India), Order 2017, in June last year as part of a policy to encourage ‘Make in India’, and promote manufacturing and production of goods and services in India with a view to enhance income and employment.

In December 2017, a committee formed to oversee the policy said some of the government institutions had included certain restrictive conditions in their bid documents which were highly discriminatory against domestic manufacturers.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Science & Technology
SARAS PT1N makes its maiden flight

Dr. Harsh Vardhan congratulates scientists and other agencies for the success
Posted On: 24 JAN 2018 6:53PM by PIB Delhi

SARAS PT1N (14 seater) designed and developed by CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL), a frontline aerospace research laboratory, has successfully made its maiden flight today. Union Minister for Science & Technology, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, has congratulated the scientists of CSIR-NAL and other agencies involved in the successful maiden flight.

The flight was commanded by Wg Cdr U P Singh, Gp Capt R V Panicker and Gp Capt K P Bhat from IAF-Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE). The aircraft took off at about 11 a.m from HAL airport and flew for about 40 minutes at the maximum height of 8500 ft at the speed of 145 knots.

The chase aircraft (KIRAN) was piloted by Gp Capt Badrish and telemetry was commanded by Gp Capt Naraynen, Wg Cdr Pandey and Wg Cdr R Sridhar (Retd). All the system parameters have been found to be normal. It was a text book flight.

The primary objective is to evaluate the system performance in about 20 flights and the data collected from this shall be used to freeze the design of production version aircraft. The production version aircraft will be of 19 seat capacity and will undergo civil / military certification.

The flight was monitored by Director, CSIR-NAL, Shri Jitendra J Jadhav, Director, IAF-PMT & Chairman, FRRB, Air Marshal Upkarjit Singh, Director-HAL, Shri Venkatesh, Commandant, ASTE, Air Vice Marshal Sandeep Singh, Chief Executive, CEMILAC Shri P Jayapal, and ADG-AQA Shri V L Raja.

CSIR-NAL sources said that this was the culmination of the efforts of team CSIR-NAL, IAF-ASTE, CEMILAC, HAL and DGAQA.

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http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...rises-again/article22514336.ece?homepage=true

Takes wings: Saras PT1N makes its maiden flight at HAL Airport in Bengaluru . | Photo Credit: The Hindu


First flight trial of the new version of the indigenous civilian airplane successful
At 11 a.m. on Wednesday, a nondescript civilian plane, painted in grey, took off from the HAL Airport.

For residents nearby used to sights and sounds of fighter jets taking off from the defence airstrip, the event went by without a second glance. But for many in the National Aeronautical Laboratory, the flight held a special significance: the rise of their flagship programme.

Nearly a decade after a tragic crash of the 14-seater Saras, which effectively stalled the indigenous civilian aircraft programme, Wednesday saw the first flight trial of the new version of the airplane, PT1N (Prototype 1 New).

Touches 8,500 feet
Those in the know-how said the first of the over six “design confidence building” trials went off successfully. For 40 minutes, the aircraft, accompanied by a defence escort, flew to speeds of 140 knots and reached a height of 8,500 feet, said officials.

“In the coming weeks, subsequent design and altitude alterations can see the flight reach closer to its top speed of 184 knots and 30,000 feet in height,” said an official.

Conceptualised in 1990s
While four pilots from ASTE (Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment) have been trained for the trials, two of them (Wing Commander U.P. Singh and Group Captain B. Panicker) flew the aircraft on Wednesday.

The aircraft programme, named after the Indian crane Saras, was first conceptualised in the 1990s as a way to establish a short-haul civil aviation market.

After decades on working out the design, NAL carried out its first flight on May 29, 2004.

On March 6, 2009, Prototype 2 crashed at Bidadi on the outskirts of the city killing two wing commanders and one flight test engineer. A subsequent inquiry found that incorrect drill procedures were given to pilots during a test where engines were to be switched off and then relit.

The accident, however, had a lasting impact on the project, and by mid-2013, monetary sanctions for the project dried up. It was only in 2015-end that the project restarted, and by Aero-India 2017 in Bengaluru, NAL announced that CSIR had given the go-ahead and flight tests would begin in 2018.

“It is a big morale booster for NAL to see a long-pending project gather steam,” said an official, when asked about what the short-flight means to the defence public sector unit.