Assam: Eastern Army Command to host defence event "East Tech 2023" in Guwahati

Guwahati (Assam) [India], October 5 : The Eastern Command of the Indian Army is set to host a Mega Defence event "East Tech 2023" showcasing the latest in defence technology, at Maniram Dewan Trade Centre, Guwahati on October 10 and 11, first such event in the state.
It is an initiative to identify cutting-edge technologies needed for solving operational challenges in the Eastern Sector and the Indian Army as a whole. As per the official statement, the aim of the event is to facilitate Eastern Command in meeting its operational challenges by incorporating Contemporary indigenous technology.
"In the true spirit of "Atma Nirbhar Bharat', the event strives to engage a large number of Indian Manufacturers including MSMEs, DRDO, DPSUs, R&D Organisations' and Academia, to showcase their latest and the most advanced weapon and equipment technology at the event. It is also an initiative to promote and provide a platform to various Start-Ups and major players of the Defence Industries belonging to Assam and other NE States to showcase their latest innovations in the Defence sector," a Defence press release stated.
The two-day event cum demonstration is being carried out for the first time in the entire North East Region. It is a joint effort of the Indian Army with the Ministry of Commerce and Industries, Government of Assam.
"The main objective of East Tech is to augment the technological knowledge base of the participants and acquaint them with prevalent "State of Art" technologies and Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) solutions available in the defence sector," the release stated further.
It is with an underlying aim to create awareness of contemporary technologies and hardware solutions available with Indian Defence Manufacturers under "Raksha Atmanirbharta", to meet ever-evolving operational dynamics in Eastern Command with indigenous, innovative and future-proof technologies, thereby promoting "Soldiering through Self Reliance".
"The event will also give a much-needed push to the defence manufacturers in North East and will help in closely integrating them into the supply chains. A seminar on niche technologies, with IIT Guwahati and a Medical Symposium with AllMs, Guwahati have also been planned during the event," the release added.
The Indian Armed Forces have identified technologies required to be inducted to enhance its existing and future capabilities. Over-reliance on imported hardware has the potential to compromise the country's defence preparedness in times of crisis, through the imposition of various technology denial directives/ mandates by the supplier.
"In the wake of the same, the event is focused on providing all the tools to enable Armed forces with Battlefield Transparency, Command and Control Architecture, Communication Systems, Information Dominance, Electronic warfare, Nano Technology IMEMS, Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Unmanned warfare systems, Mobility, Chemical Biological-Radiological-Nuclear (CBRN) Defence, Advanced Weapon System, survival systems and Non-Lethal Weapons," the release added.
The Eastern Command with its Headquarters at Kolkata, is the oldest and Largest Command of the Indian Army spanning around 10 states, with its troops incoordination with all the three elements of Indian Armed forces and the Para Military forces are deployed to counter any threats from its neighbours. The event will help identify suitable technologies and solutions customized to meet the operational requirements of the Field Army and create an effective ecosystem for swift procurement and effective maintenance of the selected Defence products.
The event will help identify suitable technologies and products for subsequent trial and induction
in Eastern Command, as well as facilitate the interface of Defence manufacturers with the Field Army to orient their products and further their Research and development towards specific operational requirements.