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As India embarks upon the largest artillery modernisation drive in its history, Defence IQ’s Future Artillery India conference brings together key military and industry stakeholders to examine India’s current modernisation strategy. Now in its second year, Future Artillery India 2012 provides delegates with the rare opportunity to connect with the key decision makers responsible for future artillery in India.
June 26, 2012 - June 28, 2012
Venue: The Oberoi, New Delhi
Organiser: Defence IQ
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As the Indian Armed Forces encounter mounting pressure to speed up the country’s artillery procurement process, the newly-appointed Director of the Indian Armed Forces’ Artillery Directorate, Lieutenant General Anjan Mukherjee, will be delivering the keynote address at Defence IQ's Future Artillery India conference in June, on the strategy for the nation’s artillery modernisation over the next decade, and where investment will be prioritised.
Formerly the Director General, Financial Planning, Lieutenant General Anjan Mukherjee has assumed the position of 34th Director General of the Directorate of Artillery at a decisive time in the Indian Army’s military upgrade plans, as critics warn of serious implications should the procurement of new artillery equipment continue to be delayed:
"The failure to modernise the Indian artillery is likely to have adverse repercussions for national security. If there is any field of defence procurement in which the government must make haste, it is this one,” Brigadier (Retd) Gurmeet Kanwal, former Director of the Centre for Land Warfare Studies, New Delhi, told Defence IQ this month.
Meanwhile AK Anthony, the Indian Defence Minister, has continued to stress his government’s continued commitment to ensuring India has the optimum artillery resource at its disposal:
"Arms and equipment including gun systems in the Indian artillery are available in adequate quantity,” he noted, but added that "modernisation of artillery, which entails replacement of the equipment of older technology, is an on-going process and is being given priority to ensure that the artillery remains equipped with modern weapons systems".
Speaking on day one of the conference, Lieutenant General Mukherjee will be joined on the expert speaker panel by other key decision makers involved with the nation’s artillery modernisation programme, including:
• Major General Vikas Joshi, Additional Director General, Directorate Artillery
• Lieutenant General J.P. Singh (Retd), Former Deputy Chief of Army Staff
• Lieutenant General Vinod Nayanar (Retd), Former Director General, Directorate Artillery
• Major General P.K. Chakravorty (Retd), VSM, Former Additional Director General Artillery
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