Jammu: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha attended the North-Tech Symposium-2023 at Jagti Campus of IIT Jammu, today and congratulated the Northern Command, Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and IIT Jammu for jointly hosting hundreds of Industries and defence tech startups and making this year’s North-Tech Symposium a unique experience with their collaboration, an official press release informed.
It is a proud moment for Academia as for the first time since its inception North-Tech Symposium, defence expo is being held in IIT Jammu, the LG said.
He observed that the three-day mega event will showcase cutting-edge technological advancements of the Indian Army and forge a synergy between Army, Industry and Academia in research, development and innovation in defence technologies.
At the expo, the LG also talked about India’s emergence as a defence exporter and self-reliance in defence production.
“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country has witnessed a major push for ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence. We are a responsible space power and have shown our strategic strength,” the LG said.
He said the launch of INS Vikrant last year vindicated our resolve to develop indigenous capabilities.
“Our arms imports have reduced significantly in the last 4-5 years and defence exports reached an all-time high in the last financial year. It shows our commitment to innovation and Indigenous technology development,” he said.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh have set the target of achieving 70 percent ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in weaponry by 2027, which is providing unlimited opportunities to private industries, MSMEs and tech startups. It signals our steadfast commitment to self-reliance,” the LG said.
On the occasion, the LG congratulated and expressed his gratitude to the armed forces for complete devotion to the motherland and determination to strengthen national security.
He said the rapid advancements in technology also called for new innovations in the defence sector. “Our greater thrust on research and development, innovation for defence excellence will ensure India is fully prepared for future warfare,” he added.
The North-Tech Symposium provides a platform to the army, academia, manufacturers, entrepreneurs, experts and key stakeholders to identify unique solutions to meet the Army’s operational requirements, while promoting self-reliance in defence production and technology proliferation.
The symposium will feature exhibitions, product launches, structured interactions and technical seminars.
Lieutenant General M. V. Suchindra Kumar, Vice Chief of Army Staff; Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi, GOC-in-C Northern Command; Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, GOC 15 Corps; Prof Manoj S Gaur, Director, IIT Jammu; Dr Sunil Misra, Director General, Society for Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM); senior officers of Army, Police, Civil Administration, members of SIDM, industry leaders, students and young entrepreneurs were present.
