— Selvaraj Venkatesan (@niftytelevision) May 25, 2024The "Southern Star Army Academia Industry Interface" (S2A212) and the Center for Defense Innovation and Industry Collaboration (CDIIC) are initiatives aimed at fostering collaboration between the military, academia, and industry to promote indigenous defense technology and self-reliance in defense production. The S2A212 event, organized by the Regional Technology Node (RTN) of the Southern Command in collaboration with the Army Institute of Technology, focuses on the transformation to Atmanirbhar Bharat in defense technology. The event includes seminars and exhibitions, showcasing upcoming technological trends in the defense arena and promoting tangible interaction with academia and industry to develop indigenous defense technology. On the other hand, the Codissia Defense Innovation and Incubation Centre (CDIIC) is a key contributor to the Southern Defence Corridor, enabling the MSMEs of the region to become import substitution partners to the armed forces. CDIIC is partnering with the Indian Army to organize the prestigious "Southern Star Army Academia Industry Interface – S2A2I2" at Coimbatore on the 28th & 29th May 2024. This event aims to identify existing problems in the defense sector and find solutions to overcome them, encouraging industries of Coimbatore to enhance Research & Development for defence related equipment to mutually benefit and fulfil the dual need of National Security & Indian defence forces.
These initiatives emphasize the importance of academia in developing next-generation defense technologies and the role of industry in supporting the Indian Army's technological needs, ultimately striving towards self-reliance in defense production.