Daijiworld Media Network - Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Nov 15: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday called for strengthening India's indigenous capabilities in advanced inspection and testing technologies, stressing that the country must emerge not just as a user of advanced technologies but also as a developer, innovator and global leader in critical domains.
Virtually addressing the 36th Annual Conference on Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) and Enabling Technologies and the 15th International Symposium on Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) in Aerospace, he emphasised the need to strengthen India's Non-Destructive Testing ecosystem to enhance defence preparedness and achieve self-reliance.
The Defence Minister underlined the importance of developing indigenous capabilities in advanced inspection technologies, adopting consistent quality assurance practices and ensuring the accuracy, reliability and integrity of testing results, particularly in strategic applications. He asserted that there could be no compromise on the integrity of testing results in such critical areas.
The three-day conference, organised by the Indian Society for Non-Destructive Testing in Hyderabad, has brought together more than 2,000 professionals, researchers, industry experts and students to discuss the latest advancements, emerging technologies and applications in the field.
Explaining the significance of NDT, Rajnath Singh said the technology enables the examination of materials, components and structures without causing any damage. Drawing a parallel with medical procedures, he said that just as ultrasound and X-rays help examine the human body without surgery, NDT techniques help identify internal defects in critical components without dismantling or damaging them.
He pointed out that as India's defence systems become increasingly sophisticated, every critical material, component, assembly and manufacturing process must meet the highest standards of quality and reliability.
"Hidden defects can affect operational availability, increase maintenance requirements, reduce the service life of equipment and, in critical situations, jeopardise mission success. We need to move beyond a culture of merely identifying defects towards actively preventing them by embedding quality at every stage of the manufacturing process," he said.
Stressing that national progress depends not only on the technologies developed but also on the quality, reliability and security of the systems built, he said quality in defence applications was not merely a manufacturing requirement but an essential element of operational reliability and national security.
He cited missiles, aircraft, naval platforms and spacecraft as examples of strategic systems where the highest quality standards were indispensable.
Rajnath Singh also highlighted the major technological transformation taking place in Non-Destructive Evaluation, with Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Robotics, Advanced Sensors, Digital Twins and Predictive Analytics expanding the scope of inspection and structural health monitoring.
He said these technologies could improve the speed and consistency of inspections, help analyse complex data and identify patterns that might not be easily detected through conventional methods.
The future, he observed, lies in intelligently integrating established inspection techniques with advanced digital technologies to make inspection processes more accurate, efficient and responsive to emerging industrial requirements.
The Defence Minister said India must move beyond merely adopting such technologies and focus on developing indigenous solutions suited to its strategic and industrial needs.
"By investing in research, advanced equipment, software and skilled manpower, we can strengthen our domestic capabilities and develop technologies that can find demand in international markets as well," he said.
He stressed the need to strengthen indigenous capabilities in specialised sensors, evaluation equipment, advanced inspection technologies and associated software to reduce technological dependence and secure critical defence supply chains.
He also called for uniform quality assurance practices across the defence industrial ecosystem, highlighting the important role of Public Sector Undertakings, private manufacturers, start-ups and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
Emphasising the need for robust procedures and appropriate standards, he said inspection results must be accurate, reliable and traceable, with assessments carried out by qualified professionals.
Highlighting India's expanding indigenous defence ecosystem, Rajnath Singh cited achievements in missile development, naval platforms, aerospace engineering, radar systems and space applications as evidence of the country's growing scientific and industrial capabilities.
He described the commissioning of INS Vikrant, India's first indigenous aircraft carrier, as a significant milestone in the country's Aatmanirbhar Bharat journey.