Article Posted on : - Apr 11, 2010

BANGALORE (PTI): Indian Air Force Vice-Chief P K Barbora has stressed the need for a national technology policy for aerospace to put India on the fast track.

Reiterating that the future of aerospace would be technology driven, he said, "But do we have a technology plan as far as aerospace...? A national policy could help us move much faster than today. It could help us to put India on the fast track."

"If we do not do it, someone will overtake us," he warned.

Barbora was delivering the Neelakantan Memorial Lecture at National Convention on 'The Frontiers of Aeronautical Technologies'.

India would need to build on its core competency and should not dilute on this aspect, he said, while pointing to the fact that the country had missed on the mid-level technology.

New Delhi has to look at joint ventures with "like- minded countries" to catch on the time factor as any country trying to build an entire fighter aircraft by itself would result in delay and time escalation, he said.

The Air Marshal also suggested that India pursue "reverse engineering".

Barbora also called for export laws that permit private-public sector to produce and export defence equipment.

“Encouraging entrepreneurs is also vital. Our defence requirements, especially aerospace, must be met from within,” he said.