Jammu: Stating that India is a civilisation, was always capable and will remain forever, Northern Command Army Commander Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi on Monday said that ‘Atmanirbharta’ is a first step for India to get global leadership.

“Atmanirbharta is a first step for India to get global leadership and to boost Atmanirbharta, industry, military and academia have come together and we will march forward so that the technology we already had, which we are importing, we will find an alternate solution to it,” Lt Gen Dwivedi told media while inspecting stalls on the first of the three days North Tech Symposium being hosted at IIT Jammu.

“And the latest technology coming ahead, how we jointly have to work upon so that the cumulative effect should be so good that we move ahead of other countries,” he added.

Elaborating on the symposium, the Army Commander said that the equipment is divided into five parts.

“Survivability of protection, mobility, surveillance and communication, infrastructural development and fire power are the key areas focussed in the North Tech,” said the Army Commander.

He stated that one-third of the equipment is already inducted into the Army, which needs improvement and the two-third developed by the industry after they understood our requirement and if the need arises and it meets our expectation, shall also be inducted after trials.

He said that the technology must be known to everyone irrespective of any age group and the North Tech is being attended by the battery of officers from various commands so that they get learned and get aware of the latest technology for adopting it into the Armed Forces.

Lt Gen Dwivedi said that the equipment on display in the North Tech is completely focussed on the ‘Atmanirbharta’, adding, “so far 256 equipments are inducted into the Army from the last North Tech held in May 2022 in Northern Command after successful trials.”

On drone challenges, the Army Commander said, “counter drone equipment’s are also inducted and they are being upgraded time to time,” adding he said, “along the Line of Control (LoC), we need intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and moreover lot of equipment is inducted, which is used in the warfare.”

The Army Commander however, also said that with each passing day, technology along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is improving.