‘Embed quality into every stage’: Rajnath Singh calls for stricter checks in defence manufacturing | India News
NEW DELHI: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday called for stronger quality assurance in indigenous defence manufacturing, saying India must move beyond identifying defects and focus on preventing them at every stage of production.Addressing the 36th Annual Conference on Non-Destructive Evaluation and Enabling Technologies and the 15th International Symposium on Non-Destructive Testing in Aerospace virtually, Singh said India had made considerable progress in developing its domestic defence capabilities, but warned that growing technological sophistication also brought greater responsibility to ensure reliability.“India has made significant progress in strengthening its indigenous defence ecosystem. Our achievements in missile development, naval platforms, aerospace engineering, radar systems, and space applications reflect the growing capabilities of our scientists, engineers, production agencies, and industry partners,” he said.Citing the commissioning of INS Vikrant, India’s first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier, Singh said the achievement marked an important milestone in the country’s defence manufacturing journey. He also pointed to progress in indigenous missile technology and space systems as evidence of India’s scientific and industrial capabilities.“The commissioning of India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, designed and constructed in India, marked an important milestone in this journey. Our progress in indigenous missile technology and space systems further demonstrates the strength of India’s scientific and industrial capabilities,” Singh said.However, he cautioned that these achievements must be backed by stringent quality standards across defence production.“These achievements are a matter of immense national pride. However, they also place a greater responsibility on us. As our defence system becomes increasingly sophisticated, we must ensure that every critical material, component, assembly and manufacturing process meets the highest standards of quality and reliability,” he said.
Singh warns against hidden defects in defence equipment
The Defence Minister said undetected defects could affect the operational availability of military equipment, raise maintenance requirements and reduce its service life. In critical situations, he warned, such flaws could jeopardise the success of a mission.“A hidden defect can affect operational availability, increase maintenance requirements, reduce service life of equipment, and in critical situations even jeopardise the success of a mission,” he said.Calling for a change in approach, Singh stressed that quality assurance should be integrated into the entire manufacturing process rather than being treated as a measure to identify faults after production.“Therefore, we must move beyond a culture that merely identifies defects and develop a culture that actively prevents them. This requires us to embed quality into every stage of the manufacturing process,” he added.Singh said the conference theme, ‘Innovation for Strategic and Economic Excellence’, was relevant to India’s ambition of becoming technologically advanced, industrially strong, strategically secure and globally competitive.“The theme of this conference ‘, Innovation for Strategic and Economic Excellence’, is particularly relevant in the present times. It reflects our aspiration to build an India that is technologically advanced, industrially strong, strategically secure, and globally competitive,” Singh said.He added that national progress depended not only on technological development but also on the quality, reliability and security of the systems being built, particularly in strategic sectors such as defence.“The progress of any nation does not depend merely on the technology it develops. It also depends on the quality, reliability, and security of the system it builds. This becomes particularly important in strategic sectors, such as defence, where the consequences of any failure can be far-reaching,” he said.
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Singh, who said he could not attend the event in person due to viral fever, joined the gathering virtually. He also congratulated the leadership of the Indian Society for Non-Destructive Testing, the organising committee and others involved in organising the conference.“I would like to congratulate the leadership of the Indian Society for Non-Destructive Testing, the organising committee, and everyone who has worked tirelessly to bring together this prestigious event,” he said.
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