For the first time, the Eastern Command of the Indian Army is organizing “East Tech 2023” in Guwahati. This event will take place at the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre on October 10 and 11, 2023.
Significance
It is the first of its kind in the entire Northeastern region and is being jointly organized by the Indian Army and the Ministry of Commerce and Industries, Government of Assam.
Sources in the military establishment have revealed that the purpose of this event is to identify advanced technologies that can address operational challenges in the Eastern Sector and benefit the entire Indian Army.
What is the goal of East Tech?
The main goal of East Tech 2023 is to assist the Eastern Command in addressing its operational challenges by integrating modern indigenous technology. The event will bring together Indian manufacturers, including MSMEs, DRDO, DPSUs, research organizations, and academia. They will showcase their latest advancements in weapon and equipment technology. Additionally, this event aims to provide a platform for startups and established players in the defence industry from Assam and other Northeastern states to display their innovations.
The primary objective of East Tech is to enhance the technological knowledge of participants and familiarize them with cutting-edge technologies and commercial off-the-shelf solutions available in the defence sector. The event seeks to raise awareness about contemporary technologies and hardware solutions offered by Indian defence manufacturers to address the evolving operational dynamics in the Eastern Command using indigenous, innovative, and future-proof technologies, thus promoting self-reliance in defence.
Furthermore, the event will boost defence manufacturing in the North East and facilitate their integration into supply chains. It will include seminars on niche technologies with IIT Guwahati and a medical symposium with AIIMS, Guwahati.
The Indian Armed Forces have identified specific technologies necessary to enhance their existing and future capabilities. Dependence on imported hardware could potentially compromise the country’s defence readiness during crises due to technology restrictions.
Therefore, this event focuses on providing tools to enhance the capabilities of our forces, including battlefield transparency, command and control architecture, communication systems, information dominance, electronic warfare, nano technology/MEMS, artificial intelligence and robotics, unmanned warfare systems, mobility, chemical-biological-radiological-nuclear (CBRN) defence, advanced weapon systems, survival systems, and non-lethal weapons.
This event will also facilitate interactions between defence manufacturers and the Field Army to align their products with specific operational requirements and drive further research and development.
Eastern Command
The Eastern Command, headquartered in Kolkata, is the oldest and largest command of the Indian Army, covering around 10 states. Its troops work in coordination with all elements of the Indian Armed Forces and the paramilitary forces to counter potential threats from neighbouring countries. East Tech 2023 aims to identify suitable technologies and solutions tailored to meet the operational needs of the Field Army, establishing an efficient ecosystem for procurement and maintenance of selected defence products.