India’s MRO sector has immense potential to strengthen its Comprehensive National Power (CNP) by leveraging its skilled human capital. With Indian professionals excelling globally, India is well-positioned to develop world-class MRO capabilities for both military and civilian sectors. Key steps include enhancing military maintenance training, utilizing veterans, creating structured training for new entrants, and establishing a digital database for skilled personnel. By establishing international MRO hubs and exporting MRO expertise, India could replicate its IT success in this sector, boosting economic and strategic influence and positioning India as a global leader in MRO services.

Efficient process monitoring is critical in MRO operations to maintain quality, compliance, and cost-effectiveness. Various software solutions, such as CMMS for work orders, EAM for asset lifecycle management, and IoT platforms for real-time monitoring, can streamline MRO activities. While large vendors can invest in comprehensive systems, smaller MROs can leverage affordable or open-source options to handle core functions. Integrating these solutions through cloud-based platforms offers flexibility and scalability, and consulting with experts can ensure that small vendors implement the right tools to meet specific operational needs, enabling them to deliver high-quality services competitively.

Security and sovereignty of a nation is paramount. It is maintained through its military. The war fighting has been ever evolving, and technology has played a determinant role in the outcomes of all the major wars or military operations. Hitherto the technology has been ever evolving and the rate of evolution too has been almost exponential. The ongo-ing Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars have shown to the world that technology will play a dominant role in the maintenance of the aim of the war and determining the outcome. The wars have become very dynamic and, threats keep evolving right through the war to the extent that the cardinal principle of ‘surprise’ of war has remained sacro-sanct.
Additive Manufacturing (AM) or 3D Printing is a niche disruptive technology. It is termed as Digital Manufacturing (DM) as well. This technology has greatly impacted the war zone where the workshops have come right beside the fighting men and machinery. The AM technology has opened up humongous possibilities to keep the machines operational, and tilt the outcome of the operations and the war. The military with an edge of applying AM will have an edge in the outcome too. The Indian military has to examine this tech-nology and apply it in a manner that the entire military is AM enabled! The paper aims at apprising the military practitioners at home to embrace AM at the right earnest.

The article highlights India’s growing prominence in the global defense market, driven by indigenization, strategic partnerships, and exports. Key milestones, like Tata’s contract to supply wheeled armored platforms to Morocco, showcase India’s evolving defense capabilities. Historically reliant on foreign suppliers, India now exports to countries like the Philippines, Armenia, and Vietnam, with products like BrahMos missiles and Pinaka rocket launchers. Strategies for further growth include leveraging soft power, financial solutions, and technology transfers. India’s defense sector, coupled with its Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) capabilities, is positioning itself as a global defense hub.