Gp Capt (Dr) R.K. Narang, VM (Retd) is a former Indian Air Force (IAF) officer, and is currently Senior Fellow, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.
The certification process needs to be made agile and transparent for enhancing skilling to meet the requirements of the Indian aviation manufacturing and the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) industry.
Policy and technology initiatives are important pillars for building high-value, high-technology industries. Information technology and automobile industries, despite their contribution to Indian economy, have remained relatively low-value industries as maximum profits go to foreign companies. The Indian unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry, led by start-ups and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), has the potential to change the trajectory and become intellectual property-led high-value industry.