Monday, January 27, 2020

Indias Private Defence Companies

Indias Private Defence Companies Our endeavour must be to meet the twin imperatives of technological relevance and cost effective delivery. Given the expansion of our private sector, both in technical and financial terms, we are at the threshold of a future in which the private sector contributes to the national cause of high technology defence. There is need for a new institutional framework to involve the private sector, to ensure continuous dialogue as well as to provide incentives for risk taking. We should encourage substantial investment in production capabilities and also in defence related RDs.  [1]   Manmohan Singh, PM of India Introduction The history of involvement of private industry in defence production in India goes back to 1991  [2]  which was followed by government initiatives in 1998 to establish close interaction of MoD and services with the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). The constitution of Group of Ministers  [3]   committee tasked to examine the Kargil debacle, the policy reforms implemented by the government since 2001  [4]  and the constitution of Kelkar committee in 2004  [5]  , were primarily aimed at overhauling the acquisition process and promoting indigenous development to achieve 70% defence requirements from indigenous sources by 2010. The major fall out of these was the Defence Procurement Procedures, DPP 2002, DPP 2004, DPP 2006 and DPP 2008  [6]  . The dramatic differences between technologies used in commercial and military systems in the past have narrowed down with the changing pace of the scientific innovation in the commercial sector especially in the fields of nano-technology, robotics, computer simulation, and stealth technology. As a result, military organizations in developed countries have turned to commercial sector for dual-use technologies and new breakthrough scientific discoveries especially with the decline in the defence spending in post Cold-War era for reasons economic as well as political. Emerging Private Sector In the last two decades, the Private Sector has expanded immensely  [7]  with the DPSUs outsourcing more than 30% and OFs outsourcing 80%. The private sector can produce much more efficiently in a much less time frame and hence their role in Indian defence industry cannot be underestimated despite their constraints. Various private sector companies have ventured into the defence sector and have been issued license by the government. These companies have already taken up production of defence equipment by entering into joint venture (JV) with many foreign companies. Some of these are  [8]  :- Mahindra Mahindra Ltd, New Delhi. Larsen Toubro Ltd, Mumbai. Max Aerospace Aviation Ltd, Mumbai. HBL Power Systems Ltd, Hyderabad. Ramoss India, New Delhi. Tata Motors Ltd, Mumbai. Alpha Phazotron Radar Equipment Systems Pvt Ltd, Bangalore EADSs helicopter subsidiary Eurocopter is associated with HAL since 1962, manufacturing more than 600 Alouette 3 and Lama (known as Cheetah and Chetak locally) helicopters. EADS has plans to set up pilot training facilities in India for the civil and military segments and plans to invest $7-8 billion ($9.5-11 billion) over the next 10 years. In Nov 2009, Mahindra Group created Mahindra Defence Systems in India  [9]  which is a JV with BAE Systems. Mahindra Group has simultaneously acquired majority stakes in two Australian defence companies, Aerostaff Australia and Gippsland Aeronautics, signalling its entry into the defence and aerospace business. Tata has entered into JV with AgustaWestland to assemble the AW119 in India. Honeywell Aerospace  [10]  , which provides integrated avionics, engines, systems and service products for the aerospace industry, is one example. The US Company has a design and development centre in India that it hopes to expand in the coming years. Airbus has set up the Airbus Engineering Centre India in Bangalore where local engineers help develop capabilities in modelling and simulation, covering areas such as flight management systems and aerodynamics, to help in the design and production of aircraft such as the A380 and the A350. It is also working with Indian IT firms such as CADES, HCL, Infosys, Quest and Satyam to offer support across various aircraft programmes. India has an inherent edge over several other nations because of higher skills and lower costs of production. This makes India an ideal contender for joint ventures. HAL has entered into joint ventures with many overseas aviation system companies to undertake design and development of new systems in India. Some of these are the BaeHAL, HAL Edgewood, HELBIT etc. Many other software and hardware giants involved in the aviation hardware and software development especially in the embedded and real time system domain have also established their facilities in Bangalore. Some of these are GE Intelligent Systems, Honeywell, etc. Given their rapid growth over the last decade, it is perhaps no surprise that Indian software companies such as HCL, Infosys, Infotech, Tata Consultancy Services and Wipro have been active in the aerospace industry for several years. Increasingly, they are benefiting from the engineering services outsourcing programmes. This will help India evolve from IT and low-end business process outsourcing work to high-end design services. Overseas companies view the Indian companies as long-term partners and not as mere suppliers/vendors  [11]  . Initiatives The initiatives undertaken by government towards promoting involvement of private sector industries towards high end defence requirements are:- Opening up of defence sector (in 2001) for 100% participation by Indian private sector and upto 26% FDI. Provision of the offset clause in DPP for any procurement from a foreign vendor beyond 300 crores. Introduction of a procurement clause Buy and Make (Indian).This clause is expected to create a positive impact on the private sector industry and could encourage formation of joint ventures or alliances for co-production with Indian companies. Issue of RFP to Indian private sector and the companies having a greater say in negotiations, in obtaining technology from foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) as well as in co-production. Sharing of information on long term perspective plan with the Indian industry and the involvement of the domestic industry in acquisition planning. Funding RD cost to the extent of 80 per cent by the Government. Non starters Inspite of the various measures taken, there has been no remarkable change in the current state of indigenisation. Only a few of Indias top private sector companies are involved in certain small value defence contracts. It needs to be realised that the goal of self reliance would remain a pipe dream if it is to be achieved by just banking on public sector alone. The involvement of private sector is mandatory to harness the best technology available and reduce imports. Considering the measures taken over the last two decades, India presently is far from achieving the indigenous figure of 70%. Equipment worth $50 billion has been bought from foreign suppliers in the last decade with the expenditure likely to touch $100 billion in the coming decade. The reasons to these are:- A number of defence-industry seminars, conferences and exhibitions have been held in the recent years but old mindsets, complex procurement procedures and clout wielded by the public sector have been acting as major deterrents to any meaningful participation of the private sector. Inspite of policy reforms of 2001, at the Defence-Expo 2010 the foreign defence majors were still lined up to display their wares. Hence, the efficacy of the initiatives of 26% FDI needs to be given a relook. While we trust foreign suppliers (essentially because there are few alternatives) governed as they are by their respective national laws that have in-built sanction mechanisms to restrict supplies in various situations, we have not extended the same trust quotient to Indian Industry. As on date the private sector is at a distinct disadvantage as against OFs and DPSUs. The OFs and DPSUs have a non-competitive edge, because of its close proximity to the MoD. In all deals under TOT, default agency that receives the benefit is always a DPSU, even if a private sector company is better placed in terms of know-how to absorb the technology and the available infrastructure. The private sector is also inhibited by technical limitations primarily due to its late entry into the defence industry and needs to institutionalise joint ventures with established foreign defence majors. However, the FDI cap of 26% is an impediment. Way Ahead The role of the Department of Defence Production thus needs to be drastically retooled to evaluate Indias requirements not in a public sector context but a larger India paradigm. Essentially the initiatives needed are:- De-licensing. The licensing system needs to be given a relook or done away with for manufacturing of defence equipment by private companies except for very critical products. Foreign Direct Investment. FDI limits should be enhanced to 49% for all defence production with sensitive content and in non-sensitive areas raised to 76 or even 100 per cent. This would obviate the need for government to defray 80 per cent of the RD costs. Private Equity Participation Government must seriously consider private equity participation in the defence-related public sector to unlock their potential and maximise returns on sovereign investment over the decades Developmental Partners. During development phase suitable industrial entities needs to be identified to participate in the activity as developmental partners. Limited Series Production (LSP). After joint development, the industry partners needs to be co-opted for execution of LSP that can meet the service requirement. Bulk Production Bulk of production needs to be outsourced to private players in a phased manner over several years. This could ease the problem of available OFs and DPSUs while at the same time utilise the resources available in these public establishments. Spin-offs The spin-offs from the defence technology need to be exploited in the commercial domain by effecting required repackaging/modification. Marketing. Scope also exists for industry to seek potential market for these products in India/Abroad with due approvals. Also the collaboration of private companies needs to be exploited for marketing of the products. Tax benefits. The government needs to provide a level playing field to private industry in terms of excise and custom exemptions for imports of certain components to be utilised in defence equipment. Promoting Interactions. DRDO has been actively promoting private industries participation in its entire gamut of activities by regularly interacting with the interested players as well as with organizations such as CII, FICCI, ASOCHAM. DRDO has organized several DRDO-Industry meets to appraise industry veterans about opportunities awaiting them in Defence RD. This would defineitely help in exploiting the available expertise in industry. Sponsored Research. Government needs to look into orient the fresh brains in the IITs, NITs and other educational institutions in India towards RD of the projects in hand as well as perspective projects. This can be taken up through Sponsored Research as well as industrial consultancy. Public Private Partnership. There is a need to promote public private partnership as the public sector has excellent infrastructure, manufacturing facilities and a highly experienced task force. It will be a waste of national resources if these assets are duplicated by the private sector. The private sector, on the other hand, can bring in latest technology, managerial practices, marketing skills and financial management. Therefore, a well-blended fusion of both will result in synergising of their strengths through economies of scale and prove mutually beneficial. Joint Ventures. The Brahmos project, which is the governmental level collaboration between the GOI (Bharat) and Russia (Moscow), is one good example of implementing organisational level change. The same needs to be followed up in other projects in pipeline.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

During, and after World War Two Essay

In the era preceding, during, and after World War Two, documentaries and real-life depictions about the war, veterans, patriotism, post-war trauma†¦etc., exploded on the home front. John Huston’s â€Å"Let There Be Light† and Frank Capra’s â€Å"Prelude To War† are both documentary films about World War Two, however filmed for very divergent purposes and in very different angles. This paper will attempt to explore and compare the differences of both wartime documentaries, and evaluate the effectiveness of their balance between artifice and authenticity. Huston’s 1946 film â€Å"Let There Be Light† was filmed with the intent to document the treatment and rehabilitation of psychologically damaged World War Two veterans. However, due to the explicit images of stumbling, shell-shocked soldiers, the United States War Department forbade civilian circulation on grounds that the film was demoralizing and detrimental to military participants. While Huston battled US officials for permission to release â€Å"Let There Be Light,† Capra’s film â€Å"Prelude To War† was paid for by the government. This 1942 documentary was a powerful propaganda piece which chronicled the events leading up to World War Two, including the rise of fascism in Germany and Italy, and the Japanese attack on China. The film was intended to stir up support for the war effort. â€Å"Let There Be Light† conveys a range of viewpoints and purposes: 1) To create a sympathetic documentary on the recovery of the psycho-neurotic soldier which would educate civilians to accommodate and accept them into society. 2) To depict post-war conditions which were more horrific than the battlefield. 3) To demonstrate that neurotic problems could be successfully treated, but at the same time the audience is left to ponder the fate of those patients who did not recover. Huston brought his cameras to Mason General mental hospital in Long Island, where the patients’ interactions with the psychiatrists were recorded and filmed. Huge 35 mm cameras and sound recording equipment were permanently set up accompanied by a large crew of technicians. Opening statements make  clear of Huston’s intention of being a storyteller: â€Å"No scenes were staged. The only direction was tactical. Where do you put your cameras? Then how to tell the story? Or how to let the story tell itself? I didn’t impose anything. The stories were sufficient.† A ship branded by a large Red Cross streams into the opening scene of the film. Narrating the film is Walter Huston, John’s father. Curious men glance out toward the hopes of the shores. Nurses and male attendants fill the decks, and as patients struggle to disembark, they watch their heavy shadows move across the side of the ship. The cameras track their anguished souls, their fearful hearts, and some lost faith in humanity. `Here are men who tremble; men who cannot sleep; men with pains that are nonetheless real because they are of a mental origin. Men who cannot remember; paralyzed men, whose paralysis is dictated by the mind. . . The psychiatrists listen to the stories of the men, who tell them as best they can. Through all the stories runs one thread – death, and the fear of death.’ These fears were evident in the men’s testimonies and in their eyes. One man was even paralyzed by fear, literally, which impaired his ability to walk. The treatment was an injection of sodium amytol to stimulate a state similar to hypnosis which allowed the patient to explore his fears on free terrains. In a captivating scene, the doctor told him to â€Å"walk over to the nurse, all by yourself. That’s a boy. You’re just a little woozy, but that’s the medicine. Now come back to me. Open your eyes. That’s a boy. Now isn’t that wonderful?† The young man, amazed and overjoyed, walked. Huston used flashbacks at the end of the film to bare a shark contrast between the weak, battered faces and the same men who looked happy and healthy. An extraordinary transformation took place and â€Å"they were put back on their legs again- which was a wonder and a miracle.† In comparison to the sensitive filming production and the soft glow of peaceful sentiment from Huston’s â€Å"Let There Be Light,† Capra’s â€Å"Prelude to War† was distinctly more dynamic, aggressive, and propaganda-like, in which the purpose was noticeably clear: 1) To depict Japan, Germany, and Italy as nations taken over by evil political leadership. 2) To depict Americans as a  people leading the world to justice and infuse a sense of patriotism. 3) To drum up war effort support. Through stirring music, forceful editing, and scenes of the Japanese, Germans, Italians ignorantly cheering for their respective political and military leaders, the film left one feeling immense patriotic pride. The film featured some women sewing silently but voluntarily, and other women assisting in other areas of work. These scenes were empowering, and they make the statement that it is everybody’s war, not just the soldiers. Benito Mussolini gesticulating on a balcony in Rome, Hitler hailing hate and racial divide, and the Japanese military taking over political power†¦these sequences were compelling because they were a foreign concept to the American people who abhor dictatorship, adore freedom, and enjoy peace. This film also allowed the concept of â€Å"fighting for world peace† to prevail, even though pacifism was a popular ideology at the time. The documentary also featured a street poll of whether Americans should enter war. The woman at the window who cold-heartedly screamed â€Å"no,† and shut her windows was juxtaposed against warm, patriotic people who explained the need to fight for justice. Comparing both World War Two films and its balance between artifice and authenticity, â€Å"Let There Be Light† is conspicuously more authentic than artificial, while â€Å"Prelude To War† leave some skeptics doubtful with government war propaganda. To put them in distinctive categories, Huston’s film exudes a â€Å"feminine† glow which radiates post-war genuine realism, a soft sense of rehabilitation, and a maternal sense of nursing. Capra’s documentary is in contrast much more â€Å"masculine† with its strong messages and forceful sequences. It emits a warrior-like attitude that exhibits qualities of invincible strength, responsibility, and an unassailable fighting spirit. Although â€Å"Prelude To War† features many authentic scenes, there is very little room for those to expand its impact due to its propaganda nature. â€Å"Let There Be Light† is in comparison very real as all angles–the battered,  the recovered, the fear, and the brave–are all shown.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Word and Book Passionate Declaration

Howard Zinns book passionate declaration, was very interesting in the first chapter American Ideology he talks about the end result of these instances was many if not all of these inferior people were killed. He also talks about how we favor the rich and neglect the poor and that it should be the other way around that life should be an entirely different way. That because of Reagan many issues came to be, Because of Reagan this country is the way it is!Although we live in a democratic country, The ideas of ethical behaviors that were formulated by our forefathers has condemned us to accept them as right. â€Å"Thus we grow up in a society where our choice of idea is limited and where certain ideas are dominant† which is very much true unless you have money your ideas will never be heard, it’s very rare where someone who is unwealthy is hear amongst millions. The only time you are really heard is where you die a tragic death. In chapter 2; Machiavellian Realism and U. S. Foreign Policy: Means and Ends.Howard zinn talks about, what kind of society we want? And how will we get it? â€Å" The instance of building more nuclear weapons when we already possess more than enough to destroy the world†¦ allowing the police to arrest any person on the street refusing to move on when ordered†¦ and consider how often a parent [usually a father] has said to a son or daughter: its good to have idealistic visions of a better world but your living in the real world, so act accordingly† This have all had an effect one or more times in my life.Some may refer to me as a hippie because I’m all about peace on this world or because I refuse to eat animals such as chickens, cows, goats anything with a heartbeat, but my beliefs are my beliefs. I do believe a world without weapons would be wonderful, a world where I don’t have to walk down the street and a cops going to stop me cause he believes I’m being somewhat â€Å"suspicious†. Of course I would love for this world to speak up and use our words rather that use our weapons or hands to harm one another.You ever see a person get called something and notice how one simple word such as â€Å"ugly† can completely set them off and just then you see this person react in a way that they use their words completely to prove a point on how, the specific word you called or used is in no way or fact them on how they spent all that time to prove one person wrong. I wish the world worked in words. I wish we didn’t have to tell our children that this is the world, so act accordingly. I was one of those children, whose father told them that, and my dreams were crushed instantly, I was 9.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

The Internet of Things - 4649 Words

THE INternet of Things THE INternet of Things Contents Abstract 1 Introduction 1 Origination 1 Definition 1 Vision of the internet of things 1 Internet of things a buzzword or future reality? 2 Applications and Business opportunities of the internet of things 3 Retail 3 Supply Chains 3 Applications within the public sector 4 Government 4 Healthcare 4 Transportation 5 Overall opportunities for business 5 Technological factors in the adoption of the internet of things. 6 Miniaturisation of devices 6 Reduction in cost of components 7 Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) 7 Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) 8 Increasing communication throughput and lower latency 8 Real-time†¦show more content†¦Figure 1: Forecasted Growth for the Internet of Things (IDA, 2012) Applications and Business opportunities of the internet of things The sudden growth in IT investment is linked with the growth of IOT and therefore naturally an era of increased investment comes with increased business opportunities. The following section describes some of the applications of the internet of things and the opportunities in which they will bring. Retail Applications within the retails sector offer a major opportunity for business to reduce cost and increase profit. The implementation of the internet of things will enable retailers to track their inventory in real time. With products on shelves equipped with technologies such RFID TAGS and smart shelves would be equipped with sensors, retailers would be able to track the movement of products and quickly replace out of stock items. (Thomas W. Gruen, 2007) Business opportunity: For businesses this offers a major cost saving opportunity. An estimated 3.9% of sales losses each year are accounted for by shelves going empty of products in demands. 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