Air Marshal V K Garg Champions Defence Innovation at INVEST 2025 Conference

In his address, Air Marshal Garg highlighted the critical importance of diagnostics, condition monitoring, and predictive maintenance in modern aerospace platforms.

Air Marshal Vijay Kumar Garg, AVSM, VSM, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) of the Maintenance Command, Indian Air Force (IAF), delivered a compelling keynote address at INVEST 2025—the International Conference on Vibration Engineering, Science, and Technology—held on 04 July 2025 at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi.

As the Guest of Honour, Air Marshal Garg addressed a distinguished gathering of scientists, engineers, researchers, and defence personnel. His participation in the event signified the Indian Air Force’s growing emphasis on academia-industry collaboration and indigenous technology development to meet evolving defence needs.

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Diagnostics, Predictive Maintenance & Innovation: The Core of IAF's Technical Edge

In his address, Air Marshal Garg highlighted the critical importance of diagnostics, condition monitoring, and predictive maintenance in modern aerospace platforms. He stated that as defence assets grow in complexity, sustainment strategies must evolve from reactive to proactive and intelligent maintenance ecosystems.

“In today’s geopolitical climate, reliability, readiness, and sustainability of assets are not optional—they are operational imperatives,” he noted. “We must use science to stay ahead of failure.”

He stressed the need for data-driven maintenance solutions, where tools like vibration analysis, AI-enabled prognostics, and advanced materials testing are integrated into regular maintenance practices to enhance combat readiness and reduce life-cycle costs.

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Atmanirbharta in Aerospace: A National Strategic Necessity

Linking technology to strategic autonomy, the Air Marshal emphasized that self-reliance in aerospace technology is not just desirable—it is critical for national security. He urged the scientific community to work in close alignment with defence stakeholders to:

• Develop indigenous diagnostic tools for aircraft engines, airframes, and avionics

• Create AI and IoT-based platforms for real-time equipment health monitoring

• Advance materials research to improve vibration resistance and fatigue life

• Promote reverse engineering and upgrades of legacy platforms

He acknowledged that while the Indian Air Force has made substantial progress in maintenance automation and digital transformation, greater synergy with academia and startups is needed to keep pace with future challenges.

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Academia, Research and Industry: The Triple Helix for Defence Excellence

Calling for a convergent model of research and application, Air Marshal Garg stressed the importance of academia-research-industry partnerships. He called on institutions like IITs to proactively align research themes with defence requirements, encouraging:

• Collaborative projects with Base Repair Depots (BRDs) and maintenance commands

• Sponsored PhD fellowships for defence-relevant vibration studies

• Joint development of sensors and algorithms for vibration-based fault diagnostics

• Establishment of Centres of Excellence for aerospace maintenance technologies

“The defence sector offers real-world, high-stakes challenges that can anchor meaningful research and provide purpose-driven innovation opportunities for our scientific youth,” he added.

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Strong IAF Participation Reflects Growing Academia-Defence Interface

The conference saw participation from several officers representing various Base Repair Depots (BRDs) and technical establishments across the Delhi region. Their involvement underlined the Indian Air Force’s strong commitment to knowledge exchange, scientific learning, and institutional collaboration.

INVEST 2025 served as a vibrant forum for discussions on vibration engineering, reliability analysis, structural dynamics, aerospace materials, and fatigue life assessment, drawing professionals from national laboratories, academia, and private industry.

The conference also featured:

• Technical paper presentations

• Workshops on predictive maintenance software

• Product showcases from instrumentation firms

• Panels on defence innovation policy and funding mechanisms

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Building a Future-Ready Maintenance Ecosystem

As the IAF continues to modernize its fleet and induct next-generation platforms, the role of advanced engineering and predictive diagnostics becomes central to sustaining air power.

Air Marshal Garg concluded his address by reaffirming the Maintenance Command’s strategic vision to evolve into a knowledge-intensive, innovation-led enabler of combat power. He encouraged young researchers to see defence engineering not merely as a technical field, but as a mission to serve the nation through ingenuity and perseverance.