New Delhi: Out of the 75 “challenges” or initiatives presented at the first Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) in 2022 – known as Swavlamban – one technology product has been contracted and 12 others accorded an Acceptance of Necessity (AoN).
An AoN means the government has accepted the need for the equipment and is the first step to beginning the procurement process.
Vice Chief of Naval Staff (VCNS) Vice Admiral Sanjay Singh said this Wednesday at the curtain-raiser of the second edition of the Swavlamban seminar. The event will be held in New Delhi on 4 and 5 October.
The inaugural edition of the Swavlamban in July last year launched the “SPRINT Challenges” initiatives wherein 75 challenges were presented to Indian startups and small and medium enterprises (MSMES).
These challenges were aimed at encouraging the use of indigenous technologies within the Indian Navy.
According to Vice Admiral Singh, the Navy received 1,100 proposals from startups and MSMEs in response to SPRINT. Twelve of these products have been given an AoN worth Rs 1,500 crores.
The Navy hopes to have a similar number in the second edition. The Vice Chief of Naval Staff said a contract worth Rs 200 crores has already been undertaken. It is for a firefighting bot.
He added that of 118 firms, all MSMEs were declared winners. “Close to 100 new firms have been brought into the defence ecosystem for the first time,” the VCNS said.
Sources told ThePrint that close to 100 technologies have been developed and over 60 of these had cleared proof concept trials – hence they are already products. But more testing is required before the Navy can take formal approval.
In addition to these products, the Navy is also focusing on enhancing its indigenisation efforts through various initiatives aimed at developing new technologies and capabilities.
The products that have received an AoN include firefighting and damage control equipment, swarm, and logistics drones.
Explaining the procedure, Vice Admiral Singh said, “For the past year, through continuous professional interactions, suggestions and user perspectives, we ensured that we have an area of trials, geared products which are consequently ready or almost ready for induction.”
He added the Navy was confident that many of these products developed as part of the initiative would find a way to be used in the other forces in the government, in the civil sector as well as for exports to friendly foreign countries.
The Vice Admiral was of the view that Swavlamban was focused at harnessing niche technologies amongst MSMEs, where the force is looking at “key geniuses that are there amongst our own people, who so far have been working in silos”.
He said some of them were even providing products abroad. The Navy wishes to harness their energies and scientific acumen to bring it into India’s defence innovation and visualisation system in order to support indigenisation capabilities.
In recent times, the Ministry of Defence and defence forces have fostered indigenisation and innovation efforts. The Vice Admiral stated, “The Navy is at the forefront of it.”
Swavlamban aims to collaborate, coordinate and develop new technologies in partnership with the Navy’s technology partners from industry and academia.
Vice Admiral Singh believes the Swavlamban initiative has been gaining critical mass and momentum with every edition.
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