Lt Gen Rajesh Pushkar Reviews 512 Army Base Workshop Projects, Boosts Atmanirbhar Bharat Push

Lieutenant General Rajesh Pushkar, AVSM, VSM, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Indian Army’s Southern Command, visited 512 Army Base Workshop to assess projects linked to the Army’s engineering, manufacturing and equipment-support capabilities.

During the visit, the Army Commander was briefed on ongoing work at the workshop and reviewed efforts to strengthen core engineering capacity, expand manufacturing capability and adopt industry best practices. The review formed part of the Indian Army’s broader push to modernise its maintenance ecosystem alongside its wider transformation programme.

Lt Gen Pushkar appreciated the personnel of 512 Army Base Workshop for contributing to the strengthening of indigenous technical capabilities and supporting the national objective of Atmanirbhar Bharat in the defence sector.

Army Base Workshops have long been central to sustaining the Indian Army’s large inventory of equipment. Their work traditionally includes major repairs, overhaul, refurbishment, maintenance and technical support for complex military systems, ensuring that equipment remains operationally available throughout its service life.

As the Army modernises, these establishments are taking on an expanded role. They are increasingly expected to help develop indigenous engineering solutions, absorb new technologies and improve the ability to manufacture or restore components within the country.

The Southern Army Commander’s visit highlighted this changing role, with particular attention on manufacturing capacity and the adoption of practices drawn from the wider industrial ecosystem.

Closer cooperation between the military and industry can allow Army technical establishments to benefit from advances in automation, digital engineering, quality control, advanced manufacturing and modern production processes. At the same time, the practical experience of Army engineers can feed back into industry, offering valuable insights into how equipment performs in demanding field conditions.

Such interaction can help improve current systems while also shaping the development of future military equipment. The emphasis on collaboration reflects the Indian Army’s growing focus on civil-military fusion, an approach that seeks to bring together expertise from the Armed Forces, public and private industry, research institutions and the wider technology ecosystem to accelerate capability development.

Technology absorption was another key theme of the visit. Modern military platforms increasingly rely on sophisticated electronics, sensors, software and other advanced systems, which means maintenance organisations must continuously upgrade their technical expertise and infrastructure.

Building these capabilities within Army Base Workshops can reduce dependence on external support for selected maintenance and engineering requirements while improving turnaround time and equipment availability.

Strengthening domestic manufacturing capacity can also help address the challenge of supporting older or specialised equipment, especially where components become difficult to source. Where technically and operationally appropriate, indigenous engineering and manufacturing solutions can provide alternatives and extend the useful service life of critical systems.

That becomes especially important during prolonged operations or disruptions to global supply chains, when reliable access to spare parts, repairs and technical support can directly affect operational readiness.

The Atmanirbhar Bharat emphasis during Lt Gen Pushkar’s visit therefore extended beyond the procurement of Indian-made defence equipment. Self-reliance, in this context, also includes the ability to maintain, repair, upgrade and support military platforms throughout their operational lives.

Army Base Workshops can play an important role in that effort by combining existing technical expertise with modern manufacturing methods and closer cooperation with India’s defence industry.

The review of 512 Army Base Workshop reflected the Army’s continuing effort to strengthen its engineering and maintenance ecosystem in step with modernisation. By improving core engineering skills, expanding manufacturing capacity, adopting industry practices and accelerating technology absorption, the workshop is contributing to a more resilient and self-reliant equipment-support system.

In that sense, the visit underlined the Army’s intent to combine military engineering expertise with industrial capability to improve operational sustainability while advancing indigenous defence production and the wider vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.