SAMDeS, a key think tank creating strategic discourse Society for Aerospace, Maritime & Defence Studies (SAMDeS) promotes multi-disciplinary research and analysis on aerospace, defence, military and maritime industry-related matters
Admiral RK Dhowan PVSM, AVSM, YSM (Retd) Chairperson, SAMDeS
Cmde. Sujeet Samaddar NM (Retd.) Secretary, SAMDeS
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hink tanks play a crucial role in formulating national policies, especially related to defence. The New Delhibased Society for Aerospace, Maritime & Defence Studies (SAMDeS) is India’s key non-profit think tank, which aims to promote multi-disciplinary research and analysis to inspire and inform the public and private policy discourse on national aerospace, defence, military and maritime industry-related matters. Major activities The vision of SAMDeS is to undertake or use research and analysis as the main element of the arguments
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to inspire and inform public and private policies, provide policy guidance, global best practices and offer solutions to government and industry towards building and operationalizing a world-class defence industrial base in India. SAMDeS focuses on some important areas. The think tank promotes development of a world-class defence industrial ecosystem integrating government, industry and academia resources to achieve selfreliance and engages in an assessment of the evolving international and national regulatory framework on arms trade and impact on the national industrial base. It also examines the role of state for advancement of technology and innovation with mission-oriented investments in R&D and public-private collaboration. Development of process protocols to bridge the gap between frontline research to new product prototype and serial production is yet another focus area. Exploration of innovative investment options for defence sector like Technology Development Funds, viability gap funding, angel investors and PE funds too is carried out. Development of requisite skill sets for the workforce required for the defence manufacturing ecosystem,
serving as Knowledge Partners to provide research reports on regulatory, compliance and policy issues and examining potential export areas for indigenously-developed products are the other activities of SAMDeS. Important objectives The think tank has set certain strategic objectives, like providing focus, and predicting and planning future developments of the indigenous defence industrial ecosystem, which will have an impact on the policy discourse and the related implementation strategies with particular reference to a robust and responsive acquisition procedure. Another goal is to examine investment options for the defence sector through financial viability and Innovative Business Finance models,including Technology Development Funds, viability gap funding arrangements, angel investors and PE funds. SAMDeS also revisits and examines a more contemporary and digitised decision-making model for capital acquisitions across the entire value chain from concept to contract conclusion. Similarly, assessment of the international and national regulatory framework relating to Arms Trade and its
implications on the national industrial base is also made. Apart from holding conferences and maintaining an interactive website, the founder members of SAMDeS promote knowledge partners through Centres of Excellence as a collaborative venture between academic institutions and industry to work towards innovation in emerging areas of advanced technology like robotics, equipment for high speed communications, new materials, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence etc. Joint exchange programmes with similar regional and international institutions are also promoted. Thematic focus areas As part of policy advocacy, SAMDeS carries out interlink of national defence strategy and the doctrinal paradigm, operational imperatives, economics and technological dimensions in the development of the national defence industrial base. It also studies the impact of globalization on the indigenous industrialisation efforts and need to benchmark technological and commercial competitiveness with futuristic development in the sector. Outlining the steps needed for the development of indigenous R&D and bridging of gap areas in different technology domains to bolster creativity
