“One of my top priorities will be to identify technologies and products which are imported today and put all out efforts to get them `Made in India’”, says G Satheesh Reddy, Scientific Adivsor to the Defence Minister.
Reddy, the 52 year old expert in navigational and avionics technologies, took charge of the post for a two year term today in New Delhi. Though, the 12th SA to Minister, he will be the first to hold independent charge.
The Union Defence Ministry had split the post from the Director General, DRDO and Secretary, Defence R&D recently. The other post is held by S Christopher.
He said, “I will work to bring in synergy between Armed Forces, DRDO & Industries. We have to create a conducive eco-system for strengthening manufacturing base in the country to enable industries to be potential long term suppliers of defence equipment”.
It is high time that modalities were worked out to encourage industries to invest in R&D and make them part of major national defence programmes, Reddy, who was the Director of the Hyderabad-based, Research Centre Imarat (RCI) said.