BrahMos JV hosts 'Industry Meet 2023' as part of 'Silver Jubilee' year celebrations

NEW DELHI: The strong and vibrant synergy between public & private sector defence industries has established supersonic BRAHMOS as a formidable weapon system in the world. To highlight this, BrahMos Aerospace, the defence JV between DRDO of India & NPOM of Russia, held ‘Industry Meet 2023’ on 02nd June, 2023 as part its ‘Silver Jubilee’ year celebrations.

The event was inaugurated by Dr G Satheesh Reddy, Scientific Advisor (SA) to RM, MoD. Also present on the occasion was Dr. Chandrika Kaushik, Director General (PC & SI), DRDO. The industrial partners of BrahMos were represented by Mr. Kaustubh Shukla, Advisor at Godrej & Boyce Ltd., Mr Arun Ramchandani, Executive VP & Head L&T Defence, and Shri Anurag Kumar, Managing Director, ECIL.

Hon’ble Minister of State (MoS) for Defence Shri Ajay Bhatt in a video message, congratulated the JV entity for commemorating ‘Silver Jubilee’ year celebrations. While appreciating the JV’s efforts towards indigenisation and its resolve to fortify ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ mission, Shri Bhatt assured all support and cooperation from the Ministry of Defence to take forward the JV to scale newer milestones. He also praised the JV entity for bagging India’s first major military export order from the Republic of Philippines.

Addressing the gathering, Dr G Satheesh Reddy, SA to RM, said that BrahMos Aerospace Private Ltd (BAPL), based on the model of a private sector entity, is a success story in India’s defence domain.

“Creating such model of a private company having the freedom and quick decision making capability despite of many challenges and issues and the private company quickly developing so many systems for varieties of (military) platforms is a success story,” Dr. Reddy said.

While stating that many Indian industries have been associated with the Defence JV right from its development stage, the Distinguished Scientist said that as long as BRAHMOS is there, the industries are assured of sustained orders.

“Industry looks at sustained orders. And as long as BRAHMOS is there, continuously orders are coming from the (Indian Defence) Services. And today we are also seeing export potential of BRAHMOS in a major way. As long as it is continuing, the industry is assured of (more and more) orders,” Dr. Reddy said.

While stating that Hon’ble PM’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat & ‘Make-In-India’ are steps in right direction, Dr. Reddy exhorted the industries to not only expand their production capabilities to meet delivery timelines for continuous orders from the Armed Forces, but also to focus on developing/ manufacturing those systems/ items within the country which are not being produced (in-country) so far.

“DRDO, BrahMos and the industries should work more collectively and diligently to ensure that the indigenous content in the BRAHMOS weapon system becomes higher,” the SA to RM said.

“With the cooperation of NPOM, we should be able to produce and take the indigenous content (in BRAHMOS) even higher and also see that we are able to produce such systems at lower costs,” he said, adding that all these steps would make us “Atmanirbhar”.

“Upgraded systems and systems which are technologically or otherwise are superior and state-of-the-art... we need to try to develop such systems & sub-systems. We all must collectively endeavour towards that,” Dr. Reddy said.

While stating that DRDO, BrahMos and the industry should play a complementary role,  the eminent scientist said: “It’s not always necessary that DRDO alone develops such (critical) systems and then the industry takes on and produces it. The industry should also come forward to design and develop many such systems.”

Developing ‘first-of-its-kind’ defence technologies & systems can make India a leading exporting nation. A system has to be technologically advanced, of sustained quality, and at competitive cost at world market.

“BRAHMOS becoming a ‘first-of-its-kind weapon system’ has achieved incredible successes, including bringing the first major export order for India,” Dr. Reddy said, adding that we all must work in that direction and develop most advanced systems and make India major exporting country in the world.

Mr. Kaustubh Shukla, Advisor at Godrej & Boyce Ltd., in his remarks said that as a complex technology in the form of world’s only supersonic cruise missile, what BRAHMOS has achieved is truly stupendous.

“Rapid development and qualification of indigenous sources in the BRAHMOS programme also stands out prominently. Much of the raw material has been indigenised, and credit goes to DRDO, BrahMos, and all industry associates to have successfully developed, qualified and productionalised the critical raw material for BRAHMOS,” Mr. Shukla said.

“BRAHMOS is a benchmark in how fast the system was developed and inducted,” he said. While committing unflinching support of G&B to BrahMos JV, Mr. Shukla said that learning from BrahMos can be deployed in other programmes of India.   

Addressing the gathering, Mr Arun Ramchandani, Executive VP & Head L&T Defence said, “As India moves forward to being a defence production state with a strong industrial complex that has evolved…the role of BrahMos will always be remembered.”

Highlighting ECIL’s close association with BrahMos JV for nearly two decades, Shri Anurag Kumar, MD, ECIL, said, “BrahMos gives us business as well as knowledge and relationship development with the industry. As system integrator and manufacturer of various sub-systems, we are doing our bit for BrahMos. In export order for BRAHMOS, ECIL is also contributing.”

Dr. Chandrika Kaushik, DG (PC & SI), DRDO, said that the synergised efforts of all stakeholders led by BAPL torchbearers have led to this successful story which reflects in BRAHMOS orderbooks, including in the (weapon’s) export order.   

“The Defence R&D, the military and industrial eco-system… all of us have a part to play to make our country self-reliant and move towards “Make-for-the-World”. This will take our nation among the league of developed nations,” the senior DRDO scientist said.

Shri Atul D Rane, DG (BrahMos, DRDO) and CEO & MD of BrahMos Aerospace, said that from a modest capital infusion of US$ 250 million from both owners (India & Russia), BrahMos today is the proud owner of an orderbook of around US$6 billion.

“All this was possible with planning and vision. The BrahMos model stands as a forerunner to the future of Indian defence manufacturing, sustenance and a first step towards self-reliance,” Shri Rane said. The Indian Missile Industry is our backbone.‘BrahMos MIC’ involving over 200 firms has grown from strength to strength over the years, the BrahMos Chief said.

“As BrahMos Aerospace enters new frontiers with future and more enhanced versions as well as export plans (for BRAHMOS weapon system), we look forward to have an even more robust relationship with our Industry partners,” Shri Rane said.  

Concluding the grand event, Dr. Sanjeev K Joshi, Dy CEO of BrahMos, thanked all the dignitaries, industry partners and other guests for making the BrahMos ‘Silver Jubilee’ celebrations a resounding success.

“BrahMos Missile Industrial Consortium today boasts of over 200 companies and defence entities. You are our strong ecosystem which has enabled us to make a successful product. I would like to acknowledge your indispensable contribution in the manufacturing of the BRAHMOS weapon system.

“Today, we at BrahMos along with our industry partners commit ourselves to fulfil; the ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ vision of our Prime Minister. I extend our gratitude, appreciation and thankfulness for the efforts and hard work of our industry partners over the years,” Dr Joshi said.