Author: Lt Gen JS Matharu (Retd)
India’s Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) sector has tremendous potential, thanks to its world-class human resource (HR) and a global reputation for technical expertise. By focusing on optimizing this HR potential, we can significantly contribute to India’s Comprehensive National Power (CNP) — a measure of a nation’s economic, military, and political strength. Here are the main takeaways for building India’s MRO leadership:
1. Leveraging India’s MRO Human Capital
India’s workforce is globally recognized for its technical skill, with Indian-origin professionals leading top multinational corporations. This underscores our capacity to cultivate world-class MRO HR that can boost India’s economic and strategic influence. Training our MRO HR to world standards would not only strengthen domestic capabilities but also expand India’s footprint in the global MRO sector.
2. MRO’s Contribution to Comprehensive National Power (CNP)
CNP reflects a nation’s overall ability to mobilize and utilize its resources to meet national goals. India’s MRO sector can directly impact several CNP factors, including military strength, human capital, and technological expertise. Developing our MRO capabilities allows us to extend the life of critical military assets and build a skilled, deployable workforce for both domestic and international MRO needs.
3. Challenges in Military Maintenance and the Importance of Skilled Technicians
Military MRO is complex and demands specialized skills. In battle zones, maintainers operate with limited resources, making their training and adaptability critical. Technicians must be prepared to handle a wide variety of equipment with minimal spares and tools. Peacetime training must therefore focus on honing skills that allow maintainers to perform under extreme constraints, ensuring operational readiness.
4. Strategic Prioritization of Training Resources
Effective MRO requires prioritizing training and deploying skilled technicians across equipment categories, especially for complex, war-critical systems. Even as we expand MRO capabilities for civil sectors, military equipment must remain a top priority. By doing so, we build a robust MRO workforce that can adapt to varied challenges across both peacetime and wartime scenarios.
5. Opportunities for Veterans and New Entrants in MRO
India has a large pool of skilled military veterans whose expertise can be channeled into the MRO sector. Concurrently, we have vast trainable HR potential in the civilian workforce. Structured training programs are essential for tapping into this trainable resource, empowering it to support MRO operations both domestically and globally.
6. Digitizing and Mobilizing MRO Talent for Global Reach
Creating a national digital database for skilled MRO professionals and trainable individuals would enhance connectivity with domestic and international MRO hubs. This digital infrastructure will allow faster deployment of Indian talent to MRO centers worldwide, positioning India as a hub for highly skilled MRO services.
7. The Vision: India as the Global MRO Capital
India’s success in exporting IT skills demonstrates our potential to lead globally. By investing in MRO skills and establishing international MRO hubs, India can create an industry that parallels our IT sector. Unlike IT, however, MRO requires physical presence but has fewer logistical challenges than product exports. With a strategic approach, India could become a leading exporter of MRO expertise, offering skilled personnel and services to worldwide markets.
Conclusion
By developing a world-class MRO workforce, India has the opportunity to enhance both its economic stature and CNP. This requires a well-coordinated effort across military and civilian sectors, with a focus on skill development, digital integration, and global deployment. With the right investment in our MRO human capital, India could become a pivotal player in the international MRO arena, just as we have in the IT sector.
