AFTER rapid development in the Information Technology (IT) and automobile sectors in India, the next area that has the potential to have a similar revolution is aerospace, said C P Ramanarayanan, Director General (Aeronautical Systems), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Pune.
Ramanarayanan was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the Sixth International Product Life Cycle, Modelling, Simulation and Synthesis PLMSS – 2017, organised at the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT), Pune, and supported by the Department of Defence Research and Development. The conference — jointly hosted by the DIAT and Tech Mahindra — was being looked at as a platform to discuss the trends and advancements in the area of PLMSS for Engineering and Technology applications and processes.
In his address, Ramanaraya-nan said, “If we look at the Indian scenario, initially, it was an IT revolution… and within a short span India became an IT giant. IT became a big revenue generator. After IT, it was automobiles and we are now trying to catch up with
the other leaders. The next predicted and likely revolution is in the aerospace. But the major difference between the first two and the third, is the need for perfect Product Life Cycle Management. Development of any subsystem in aerospace requires a different breed of engineers. We want engineers who not just understand the product and its costing, but also those who know how to keep the cost of life cycle management at minimum.”
He added, “Another problem we are going to face is because of the global supply chain management. When we will be at the different level, catching up with the best in the field will be quite a task. You will also be aware that in the MoD, when an aircraft, ship or a submarine is purchased, the negotiations are always about the life cycle. It is not the direct acquisition cost that matters but the life cycle cost which is always the deciding factor. So, that perspective has to be there from the conception of the very project… The purpose of these types of workshops is to share our ignorances. We can share where we have gone wrong and then we can also share the innovative solutions so that they can put into practice.”
