Indigenisation Conference INDICON 2018 was held at Head Quarters, Maintenance Command, Vayusena Nagar on 18 and 19 Dec’18. As part of the Conclave, an indigenisation fair with participation of vendors and defence suppliers was held on 19 Dec’18. The Conference and fair was inaugurated by Air Marshal Hemant Sharma, Ati Vishist Seva Medal, Vishist Seva Medal, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Maintenance Command and attended by Senior Officers of Head Quarters Maintenance Command and indigenisation Officers from various Base Repair Depots of the Air Force.
In his inaugural address, the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Maintenance Command brought out the challenges in maintenance of legacy fleets and systems of the IAF and exhorted the Base Repair Depots to innovate and use their collective wisdom in executing indigenisation projects. He stated that the indigenisation agency, production agency and certification agencies need to maintain synergy so as to correctly identify the indigenisation needs of weapon platforms and systems. As part of the Conference, guest lectures by specialists in the fields of corrosion prevention, Airworthiness certification, financial planning and Naval HQ were also organised.
The indigenisation fair witnessed fruitful and extensive deliberation between the defence suppliers and the IAF. These interactions have helped in clarification of issues in indigenous development and resulted in an increased synergy between the suppliers and the IAF. The fair was visited by students of VNIT, Ramdeobaba College of Engg, Priyadarshini College of Engg and NCC Cadets of Maharashtra Air Squadron.