Add to that .. medical, housing, dept. related perks and assured pension, I think it is a good deal these days.

PS: before this turns into an argument about the merits of these, I would like to say that I am all for these

I do agree Government employee receive many perks along with basic pay, and to add to that they generate some extra perks for themselves.

the Idea of gov units competing on price is going to take us no where, except for churning out sick units. Gov pays on scale basis, while pvt sector pays on person basis.

IMO, the approx CTC for a gov job is almost as good as a pvt job, if you also include some adjective factors.

Outsourcing is ok for non-strategic units like NTPC, ONGC or ITI ( ). they need it badly.
But Units of national importance are units not for profit, they can offer adventure in their way, but can't offer money for your own adventure.

ISRO has taken a good approach, the IIST solves some problem..helps administration implement stricter norms against attrition.

The topic "Employee retention policy" needs a wider debate to reach any conclusion. At best, i can speculate. Not being a part of any such org suits me not to comment more on this topic.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/business/india-business/LT-eyes-mega-play-in-nuclear-power/articleshow/5069954.cms

The article mentions them trying to partner with Canadian Nuclear firm and yet claim to be able to build 3,000 to 4,000 MW Nuclear power plants.

If they can build for themselves, why need partnership with someone else.

Additionally, they claim to be able to build conventional submarines as well. Why are they not being given orders to build? Why does India acquire them from outside?

Thanks,
bobj

L&T will bid to build navy's second submarine line.

Engineering and Construction giant Larsen and Toubro Tuesday said it will bid for the Indian Navy's second line of conventional submarines.

The company had built India's largest shipyards, near Chennai and in Gujarat, which had the capacity to build all types of naval construction, including submarines, L&T chairman and managing director A.M. Naik told reporters here.

'We will be bidding for the navy's second line of conventional submarines,' he said.

He pointed out that L&T, along with the Russians, was vying to build Amur-class vessels but the initiative did not take off due to lack of funds.

'Our shipyards in Hazira and Kattupalli have the capability to take up construction of vessels of about 7,000 to 9,000 tonnage and even warships of the size three or four times these vessels,' Naik said.

L & T is being rewarded for their Role played in the Arihant project. Is both their shipyards equipped for sub building?
More Navy projects should go for the private yards. Now the gov shipyards will feel the heat.

Does L & T have design or it just wants to manufacture those subs under license as MDL is doing in case of scorpenes...

If it has design and everything nothing like it, they should just award L & T

-Nitin

Even if they do not have the designs, giving the contract to L&T would make sense as Mazgaon Docks has its hands full and even otherwise the PSU shipyards are unlikely to stick to delivery schedules.

A little it more experience (by way of building the second line of SSKs) and L&T may well come up with the first indigenous diesel SSK design in the future. Anyways, that is not expected from the series bungling MDL types. Who knows, L&T might already be working on a diesel SSK based on its SSBN experience on its own.

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/experiment-goes-wrong-explosion-in-hemrl/523668/

Blast in High Energy Material Research Laboratory...



The lab is just 5km away from my house..


Not able to figure out in which thread to post...mods please help if this is the wrong one...

Quote from above article



A nice example of commercialization of research. Other production houses should follow the similar example of midhani and DMRL.

Frontline's latest edition contains some DRDO specials

Defence engine

Material innovation

Bang on target

GRSE modernisation will allow construction of larger warships.

Kolkota-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE), a defence public sector unit PSU, has initiated an Rs530 crore modernisation programme in its Main Unit, which will allow it to construct larger warships. The modernisation programme is expected to be complete by July 2011.

With newly installed infrastructure facilities the shipyard will be able to undertake construction of large ships, such as LPDs and frigates, with modular construction that will allow deliveries in a shorter time frame.

Post- modernisation, the GRSE will have a large dry dock as well as a large inclined berth - both 180 meters long. These will be supported by a modern integrated paint cell, modular hall, allied workshops and a 250 ton goliath crane.

GRSE's Raja Bagan Dockyard at Kolkata, which the company acquired from the CIWTC in July 2006, is also undergoing rapid modernisation. The Raja Bagan Dockyard is currently engaged in the construction of Water Jet Fast Attack Crafts. GRSE will move to construct more sophisticated smaller vessels.

Meanwhile, for the third year in succession, GRSE has paid a dividend of Rs24.77 crore (20 % of the share capital) to the Union Government for the financial year 2008-09. The amount was handed over to the defence minister, AK Antony in New Delhi by Rear Admiral KC Sekhar (retd), chairman and managing director, GRSE.

The company expects to achieve a value of production of Rs850 crore in financial year 2009-10 as against Rs673 crore achieved in financial year 2008-09.

GRSE is currently building 10 Water Jet Fast Attack Crafts (four have already been delivered) and 4 anti-submarine warfare corvettes for the Indian Navy.

It is also building about 80 Fast Interceptor Boats for the Ministry of Home Affairs. Construction of eight Inshore Patrol Vessels (IPVs) for use by the Indian Coast Guard will commence soon.

GRSE also manufactures Portable Steel Bridges, Marine Pumps, Ship Borne Equipment and Marine Engines. GRSE has obtained patent for invention of double lane portable steel bridges.

The Company has also developed a Common Helicopter Traversing System (HTS), to provide viable flexibility to the navy in operating different types of helicopters from warships, and is in talks with international players for obtaining technology for Rail-less HTS.

Got this in my inbox from Mullah Nayakuddin.

Sartex-Kemrock to set up aeronautical components manufacturing unit.

Saertex-Kemrock India Limited, a joint venture company of Germany-based Saertex and India's Kemrock Industries and Exports Limited, will invest Euro 10-million initially to manufacture aeronautical components.

Saertex India, a subsidiary of Saertex, is a global leader in carbon and aramide fabrics. Saertex and Kemrock had recently signed an MoU to set up a 50:50 JV in this regard.

"Saertex-Kemrock will invest Euro 10-million in the first phase to set up a new facility in Vadodara, Gujarat, spread over 280-acres for the manufacture of components needed in the aeronautical industry," Kemrock's Chairman and Managing Director, Kalpesh Patel, told reporters here today. There would be further capital infusions going forward, he said.

The facility will be commissioned in the next 6-8 months and will produce high-end carbon composite components for both commercial and defence aeronautical requirements, Patel said.

"This is the first such facility to be set up by Saertex outside Germany, Patel said, adding that Kemrock will provide cutting-edge expertise in composite manufacturing and strong Indian operations.The prime focus of the company would be to build the interiors of the Airbus aircraft in the next three-years, Patel added.

Kemrock is one of the largest manufacturers and exporters of moulded gratings and other carbon fibre products used in building of the interiors of the aircrafts, railway coaches, windmill blades, GRP poles, race cars, boats, and racing cycles.

Kemrock, which already has a state-of-the-art facility in Vadodara, had earned a revenue of Rs365-crore in the last fiscal and targets over Rs 600-crore this fiscal, Patel said.

Hi...Does anybody have any idea about what's happening with DRDO's Avatar/HSTDV.
Based on my limited knowledge about this project, AVATAR & HSTDV are different projects.
DRDO is developing HSTDV & ISRO is involved with AVATAR. Is it correct ??

I've also read that inspite of using almost similiar technologies in both these projects DRDO & ISRO are not ready to take this project together. ISRO doesn't like unprofessional approach of DRDO & DRDO has problems with ISRO's big brother atitude. In past too Reports of friction between these two agencies have been published. Is it correct ??

I mean this is such a prestigious project & no other country has acheived full success in this except for NASA's successful flight. This is our chance to show the world that we are second to none. But here too our internal problems are making this project suffer. I hope both these agencies resolve their differences because if they don't then there is only one loser & that is INDIA the country.


Thanks

Though both projects are different and handled by different organizations viz DRDO and ISRO, it is nothing to do with internal problems. Both use the SCRAMJET technology but the purpose is completely different. HSTDV is being developed more as a hypersonic bomber where as AVATAR is a low cost hypersonic TSTO (Two state to Orbit) system, being developed to launch satellites to LEO. DRDO is working with ISRAEL to validate the SCRAMJET engine. A scramjet engine for 7 min. has already been tested by DRDO in simulated environment. Similar test has been performed by ISRO. Check this link:

http://www.isro.org/rep2009/images/mission-profile.jpg

The goal of ISRO and DRDO is to finish POC (Proof of concept) by launching a working model capable to launch upto 15 tons to LEO by 2015. The initial slated dated for testing of prototype is by end 2009 carried out by DRDO. This test includes launching a scaled down version of AVATAR/HSTDV using PSLV booster. The prototype will be retrieved using parachutes and sea landing. The working version would be launched by one of the boosters and should be able to land back on airstrips as conventional aircraft.

ISRO and DRDO are pretty serious on this project. But there are lot of challenges and the ISRO estimate is that they would have a certified and practical solution of AVATAR by 2050.

^^^^Thanks a lot for this valuable information.

Regarding the 2050 timeline. Is this the deadline only for ISRO's AVATAR or for both AVATAR & HSTDV. I mean if DRDO is rolling out the first prototype by the end of 2009 then 40 years to make the product useful is too much. Can u please shed some light on that ??

As you have mentioned this prototype will be retreived by parachutes. But DRDO is also planning to make this aircraft capable of of landing horizontally. Can u please tell us about the progress that has been acheived in this area ??

And finally what about China ?? Does China also have a similiar project ?? If not then I believe this is the perfect opportunity for us to be ahead of them.


Thanks

Its the deadline for both ISRO and DRDO. Building a prototype test vehicle and building a full scale system that is capable of practical use, are two very different things. Even USA which is the only country to test a sustained hypersonic flight, can't be put to practical use. Building a missile or rocket travels at hypersonic speeds is one thing and using scramjet for hypersonic flight is another. Ruskies and Ameerkhans have done some progress, but more like a single projectile. Moreover for AVATAR/HSTDV to work, we are looking at altitude above 25 km with a significant payload of min. 1 ton for HSTDV and a much more higher altitude for AVATAR. There is no country in this world who can do that as of today. Even the NASA experiment was a hypersonic cruise at the altitude of 29 km, but please note, there was no PAYLOAD, just SCRAMJET demonstration. According to the technomullahs as ISRO, the biggest challenge is materials needed to develop these vehicles. Materials with higher strength and very low density, than any other alloys that we know today. ISRO is confident that they would be able to achieve TSTO by 2015-20 with 1 Ton payload. But it won't help us much, but never the less a very brilliant step in the correct direction.

Even by 2050, forget SSTO, if we can come up with a practical working solution which is capable of putting 10 Tons in LEO, that will be a beginning of the GOLDEN period of India. Jingo's can imagine that when space ferry cost drops to 67$ per kg, compared to present day 20,000$ per kg, what wonders it can do.

The first test by 2009 end or probably by 2010 will be a scaled down version of RLV-TD. It will be used to prove Re-entry concepts, aerodynamics, hypersonic cruise sustainability and fuel dispatch at hypersonic speeds. It will also validate the design of RLV. ISRO is pegging that the Re-entry study is the most important thing for RLV as well as all future re-entry vehicles. Once things are proven, there will be one more test. Its not clear as of now, whether the second test will be the actual version or again the RLV-TD. The final version would be the full scaled version capable of putting 1 Ton payload in LEO by 2015.

DRDO is probably testing on its own, but that news is very tightly guarded.

For these two projects, I recon the benchmark would be AVATAR. HSTDV is not gonna be as tough compared to AVATAR. Once we have AVATAR working, we can imagine a UCAV version of AVATAR which travels at hypersonic speed, delivers multiple "GIFTS" all across the world and comes back to the origin, and lands like a conventional aircraft. After this system comes into function, there will be not more than 1 or 2 countries in the world, who would possess a SAM that is capable of engaging HSTDV at that altitude and at that speed.

In one of my other posts, I had also suggested, how HSTDV can be used to sport air-to-air hypersonic missiles, to take out ballistic missiles in boost phase.

The opportunities are infinite, and I really hope that more young people get inspired by this and join ISRO, and make this dream come true!!! AMEN

Thanks a lot nukavarapu

Your info was very helpful in clearing my doubts. This is really very prestigious project & most importantly no country has mastered it yet. So, everybody is on the same page.

I hope this project gets full support from goverment.

Mahindra Satyam partners with Saab for defence solutions.

IT firm Mahindra Satyam on Tuesday said it will collaborate with Swedish defence firm Saab to develop applications and technology in India for the defence and security market.

The multi-year collaboration would allow the companies to jointly address the Battlefield Management System (BMS) for the Indian Army, Mahindra Satyam said in a statement.

Both parties intend to work together for Indian BMS programme, the statement said.

The company did not comment on the size of the deal. But sources said the deal is in the range of USD 400-500 million and is spread over five years.

Analyst feels, this is one of the big breaks Mahindra Satyam was looking for. This is definitely the biggest deal bagged by Mahindra Satyam (earlier Satyam Computer Services) in its new avatar.

"This relationship will jump start our foray in mission critical areas of defense," Mahindra Satyam CEO C P Gurnani said.

"We view this relationship with Mahindra Satyam as a strategic meeting of two highly skilled teams believing in technical and engineering excellence," Saab President and CEO Ake Svensson said.

Bhilai steel plant rolls special steels for space vehicles.

Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) has for the first time rolled high strength special steels used in construction of space vehicles. While the steel
slabs were developed by Mishra Dhatu Nigam (Midhani), a defence ministry arm, these plates of 9.5 mm thickness were rolled for the first time at BSP's Plate Mill recently. The rolled plates are used for manufacturing the main body of India’s indigenous space vehicles.

"These plates find application across the aerospace sector but its commercial use is largely restricted to critical areas of strategic significance," a top source told ET.

These plates are much stronger than mild steel sheets that find application in consumer durables and auto sector, for instance. However, in terms of value, these plates are likely to be many times costlier than hot rolled coils.

Such steels are made out of special alloys and are capable of withstanding metal fatigue which occurs due to tremendous changes in heat and atmospheric pressure on the space craft when it returns to orbit. Steel is widely used in construction of space shuttles along with metals like aluminium, titanium and other high grade materials.

"Bhilai has also been making special grade plates used to manufacture the hull of India’s aircraft carrier warships and submarines," a BSP official said. the plant also manufacturers the widest and thickest plates and also exports it to other countries.

Plates from Bhilai’s Plate Mill are also used for manufacturing boilers, in hydro-electric projects, heavy machinery equipment and as a base for heavy construction including platforms and bridges, including those on the Jammu-Udhampur rail link.

As part of its modernisation programme, BSP has installed a new slab caster and a second set of RH degasser and ladle furnace in the secondary refining facilities of its Steel Melting Shop II.

future applications could include each troupe gets networked displays for planning, attacks, orbat, logistics, supplies, everything going on displays.. click and drag to know what happened or happening from CHQ.

To add to what Vipul has already posted about the Mahindra-Satyam-Saab deal, here is some more info:

Breaking new ground - Using knowledge of the Terrain

Of men and minds - DRDO research into psychological aspects of selection, training, rehab etc

The title of the story is misleading as it leads one to believe that it is the defence forces which are against privitization whereas it is the civilian workforce (read labour unions) in defence factories which are against these moves ... Having seen these unions at close quarters I wouldn't put too much faith in their words ...

AnimeshP wrote

Not sure what you mean. These parasites wouldn't want privatization because their do nothing jobs trump national security/technological independence any day.

Well ... you have these same unions at Army Base Workshops (which along with Ordinance factories and depots come under Factories Act and not under the Army Act) ... And these unions are no better (if not worse) than the ones plaguing other Govt. factories ... strikes, gheraos, dharnas et al are the norm with these unions. There have been cases when the office holders of these unions have verbally abused and threatened phyisical harm to Army men who are posted in these units. And most of the time these guys get away with it because of the patronage of the local neta for whom these guys form a good votebank ...

A major step forward in enabling high speed air breathing propulsion R&D in India

High Mach number airbreathing propulsion is an area of research & development vital to India’s strategic needs. Propulsion is the most important pacing technology for the high speeds at which advanced aerospace vehicles such as, Access-to-Space Vehicles, Trans-atmospheric Vehicles and Missiles are to fly. From performance considerations, high-speed aerospace vehicles that fly at Mach numbers greater than 3 (speeds greater than 3 times the speed of sound) need to necessarily employ advanced airbreathing propulsion systems such as, ramjets, supersonic combustion ramjets (scramjets) and their complex derivative-the dual-mode ramjet/scramjet. Such critical engine technologies are closely guarded abroad.

The National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bangalore have active R&D programmes for the development of advanced high-speed combustors for the High Speed Flight Technology Demonstrators of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram and the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad. To carry out the appropriate full-scale ground tests, a High-Speed Combustor Test Facility has been set-up at the Propulsion Division, CSIR-NAL, Nilakantan Wind Tunnel Centre, Bangalore with joint funding from ISRO, DRDO and CSIR. This versatile test facility was inaugurated on Wednesday 28th October by Dr.G. Madhavan Nair, Chairman, ISRO and Chairman, Research Council, NAL.

Dr. Madhavan Nair in his address complimented NAL for setting up such a complex test facility, which will allow the indigenous development of the critical advanced subsonic/supersonic combustor technologies for India’s futuristic high Mach number propulsion systems. He stressed that a comprehensive design data base should be quickly built up by carrying out extensive testing which, from now on, is possible in India. Dr. AR Upadhya, Director, NAL in his opening remarks said that ‘Supersonic Combustion’ is a thrust area activity of NAL and that, in fact, it was in the early nineties that this activity had been initiated in NAL jointly with DRDL by the then DRDL Director, Dr Abdul Kalam and the then NAL Director, Professor Roddam Narasimha.

This test facility can also be employed to carry out full-scale afterburner developmental tests for the aero-engine gas turbines being developed by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), Bangalore, which has already funded a related programme.

Antony presents awards to Defence PSUs /Ordnance Factories

Import Substitution

(a)Bharat Electronics Limited, Ghaziabad for Engineering and realization of Rohini Radar D & E Model in collaboration with LRDE (The design agency).

(b)Garden Reach shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd., Kolkata for Indigenization of Centrifugal Pumps of Russian Origin for Warships/Submarines in Indian Navy.

Design Efforts
(a)MILCOM SBU unit of BEL, Bangalore for Design and development of STARS V- Mk II 5W / 25W Radio Sets and its various accessories.

(b)Ordnance Factory, Dehu Road, Maharashtra for Development of modified igniter NP- Type II Mk-1 for 455 Litre container bombs for Air Force.

Innovation

(a)Mazagon Dock Limited, Mumbai for Innovative approach in overhaul of propulsion Motor and their mounts of German origin Submarines of Indian Navy without resorting to usual practice of cutting pressure hull which is usual practice at OEM and also world over.

(b) CRL, BEL, Bangalore for Development of Hand Held Computer, part of the Shakti- Tactical Network project for Artillery of Indian Army.

Hi....Does anybody have any info about indigenous development of such kind of products like see through radars etc ??
I think DRDO is too involved in missiles & radars, they should also work towards products that can play a major role in homeland security (Just like the Israelis). These products are very important & lucrative as well because the chances of full fledged war with any country in near future are remote but you can't say the same thing about terriorist attacks. You need to have a domestic industry working on this.

Also, please check the second comment on this news report. It's caption is "Pakistan Is Ahead of India" & it has been posted by SHIV AROOR. Look at the stupidity of Pakistanis.


Thanks

sunny, paki comments should be ignored, that's the best they deserve. don't bring them here.
in this case he is right though, the pakis do have a knock-off of the corner shot. it's not a very complex item so it's not a very big deal to make it once the idea has been demonstrated.

since it is not critical technology nor a sanctioned item, it is the small pvt co's who should take the lead in such products. DRDO is better off concentrating on products that either do not exist (India-specific) or that are not accessible to us.