Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane said that Government was committed to ensure Quality Assurance (QA) in military aviation and taking appropriate measures to remove obstacles in indigenization of Defence manufacturing industry. He was delivering keynote address at Workshop on “QA Reforms in Military Aviation for Promoting Indigenous R&D and Manufacturing”, held on July 3, 2023 in New Delhi.  The Defence Secretary was chief guest at the function organized by Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DGAQA), MoD and Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM).

Defence Secretary further said that the country is progressing in line with PM’s vision of Aatmnirbharata in defence.   It is a challenge but systems are being put in place and measures are being taken to achieve it, he said. He urged the private sector to invest more in Aeronautical Quality assurance research and testing.      

The aviation sector is a complex domain with advanced technology and critical considerations for fight safety and mission success. To address these risks, the global aviation industries operates under the airworthiness framework governed by state or government agencies. In India, the Technical Airworthiness Authority (TAA) consisting of DGAQA, which ensures airworthiness through quality assurance, and Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC) which ensures airworthiness of designs, provides airworthiness certification and quality assurance for all Indian aviation industries.

As part of Government of India's Make in India and Aatmnirbhar Bharat programs, DGAQA has been driving various initiatives to rope-in maximum number of Aerospace product manufactures to be prospective suppliers for Indian Defence requirements and be the contributors for national defence preparedness.

The primary objective of the workshop was to highlight the handholding initiatives undertaken by DGAQA, which facilitates the entry of Indian manufacturers into the defence aerospace manufacturing business. Additionally, the workshop aimed to identify any further requirements of support and assistance in order to enhance the potential for indigenous manufacturing. The workshop was attended by senior officials of MoD, Indian Air Force, Army aviation, Naval Aviation, Indian Coast Guard, DRDO Labs, CEMILAC; and captains of Indian aviation industries.