Seeking joint efforts to develop India as a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) hub, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Tuesday emphasised the need for MRO services to safeguard the defence equipment and systems India possesses and to protect the Indian defence forces. Earlier in the day, in a separate event, he had said it is time to ensure Indian aircraft flew with indigenously-made engines. Rajnath was speaking at the inaugural session of the seminar on 'Sustenance in MRO and Obsolescence Mitigation: Op capability Enhancers in Aerospace Domain' organised by the Indian Air Force at Aero India 2023. Without referring to the Russia-Ukraine war, Rajnath said India is taking steps to strengthen its defence sector “due to geo-political developments” and said the self-confidence and morale of our defence forces will be strengthened by using indigenous equipment. At the event, Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari emphasised on the contributions of MSMEs and start-ups towards upgrade and sustenance of legacy fleets. He also pointed out there is a huge potential for overhaul through part testing and outsourcing.
