Defence Ministry QA-Industry Conclave.
India Department of Defence Production QA-Industry Conclave: A high-level QA-Industry Conclave themed ‘Traceability, Speed and Trust – Leveraging Technology for Smarter Quality Assurance’ was held in New Delhi on February 13, 2026, placing digital transformation at the centre of India’s evolving defence quality framework.
The event brought together senior leadership from the Ministry of Defence, Indian Navy, quality assurance organisations, defence shipyards, public sector undertakings and leading private industry partners. The deliberations focused on shaping a future-ready, technology-driven quality assurance (QA) ecosystem to support complex defence manufacturing programmes.
Digital Integration for Speed, Transparency and Trust
Participants underscored the transformative role of digital technologies in redefining QA processes across the defence manufacturing value chain. Discussions centred on enabling end-to-end traceability, reducing procedural timelines, enhancing transparency in inspection and certification, and fostering greater trust between QA agencies and industry stakeholders.
A clear consensus emerged that the integration of digital tools, data-centric methodologies and collaborative policy frameworks is essential to ensure speed, accuracy and reliability—particularly in shipbuilding and high-technology defence production projects.
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SDHI shipyard in Gujarat, India.
Key Outcomes: Capability Catalogue and Standardised Data Framework
A major outcome of the conclave was the release of the Indian Naval & Marine Industry – A Capability Catalogue, a comprehensive compendium aimed at providing structured visibility to indigenous industrial capabilities and strengthening engagement between the Services and the domestic manufacturing ecosystem.
The promulgation of Joint Service Guidelines on the Common Information Model for integrated data management of combat systems and sensors marked a significant milestone in advancing standardisation and interoperability. The move is expected to facilitate seamless digital exchange of technical and quality data across stakeholders.
Industry partners demonstrating proven quality performance were conferred Green Channel Status and granted Self-Certification, reflecting a progressive shift towards a trust-based, performance-oriented QA regime that rewards process maturity, reliability and consistency.
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Indian Naval Ship.
Focus on Shipbuilding and Lifecycle Quality
Technical sessions featured forward-looking discussions on digital QA for shipbuilding, policy compliance in a rapidly evolving industrial landscape, and quality assurance challenges in naval ship construction and replenishment orders for spares.
Participants emphasised the importance of real-time data visibility, integrated inspection planning, harmonised documentation, risk-based certification models and greater industry involvement in quality planning from the design stage onward. The exchange of best practices and operational insights led to the identification of actionable measures for process optimisation.
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QA Industry Conclave as a Continuous, Technology-Enabled Process
Addressing the gathering, Vice Admiral B. Sivakumar, Chief of Materiel, Indian Navy, highlighted the evolving character of defence manufacturing in India and the need for QA systems to keep pace with modular construction practices, integrated combat systems and network-centric operations.
Speakers stressed that quality assurance is no longer a terminal inspection function but a continuous, technology-enabled process embedded across design, production, testing and lifecycle support. The conclave also reinforced the importance of aligning QA reforms with the national vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and fostering a collaborative, trust-based compliance environment for capable industry partners.
The event concluded with a shared commitment to leveraging digital transformation as the cornerstone of trusted and time-bound defence quality assurance in India.
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