The Indian School of Business (ISB) and Strategy& (a part of PwC network) have entered into a partnership to set up an industry think tank to drive thought leadership and impact in the Indian defence sector, according to a recent press release.
An agreement was signed to this effect, at the ISB National Conclave, between officials of the Munjal Institute of Global Manufacturing at the Indian School of Business and Strategy& in New Delhi recently. It was exchanged in the presence of Sunil Kant Munjal, Jt. Managing Director of Hero MotoCorp Ltd, Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice Chairman, Bharti Enterprises, Ajit Rangnekar, Dean of ISB, and Pradeep Singh, CEO of the ISB Mohali Campus and Deputy Dean of ISB.
“The academic rigor at ISB and market insight from Strategy& are being brought together through this collaboration to provide access to ground-breaking research and analysis of key issues to industry players against the backdrop of the Government of India’s Make in India policy and thrust on local aerospace and defence production,” said Singh.
“India is uniquely positioned to emerge as a major aerospace and defence market thanks to Make in India campaign coupled with a healthy supplier base and engineering talent in the country.”
“We at Strategy& are committed to bringing our knowledge and unique point of view to our clients, to enable them to enter and expand in the defence sector with a strong understanding of realisable market opportunities. We are happy to collaborate with ISB in this journey to achieve market traction and impact,” added Anurag Garg, Director and Defence Vertical Leader at Strategy&.
As per Strategy& estimates, the Indian defence capital expenditure is estimated to increase by 8-10 per cent annually till 2020, with scope for the private sector expanding significantly across the tiered value chain.
The think tank will focus on engaging with the Indian companies on strategy, go-to-market approaches and government policy - including large corporates seeking to grow their defence revenue, foreign players looking to credibly enter the Indian landscape, and MSMEs wanting to play an increasing role in the defence value chain. It will also provide a platform for various players in the sector to get together to discuss burning issues through its flagship event InDeCap, as well as workshops and roundtable discussions.