Hyderabad : Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI), a premier Defence Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Defence, Government of India, organized its Customer Meet 2026 in Hyderabad. The theme of the conclave was “Role of Strategic Materials in Viksit Bharat 2047”. During the meet, a panel discussion on the theme was also held bringing together eminent scientists, industry leaders and representatives from strategic sectors to deliberate on the importance of advanced materials in achieving India’s vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047.
The programme commenced with an inaugural session attended by Dr. Jaiteerth R. Joshi, Director General, BrahMos (DRDO) and CEO & Managing Director, BrahMos Aerospace, as the Chief Guest; Dr. Komal Kapoor, Chairman & Chief Executive, Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), as the Guest of Honour; Dr. S.V.S. Narayana Murty, Chairman & Managing Director, MIDHANI; P. Babu, Director (Production & Marketing), MIDHANI; Smt. K. Madhubala, Director (Finance) & CFO, MIDHANI; and Smt. Spurthi Reddy, IRS, Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO), MIDHANI.
Delivering the Welcome Address, P. Babu, Director (Production & Marketing), MIDHANI, welcomed the distinguished guests, experts and participants to the programme. He highlighted MIDHANI’s growing role in strengthening India’s strategic sectors through the indigenous development and production of advanced materials. He emphasized the importance of close collaboration between industry, research institutions and end-user agencies to address emerging technological challenges and build a robust ecosystem for strategic materials. He also underscored MIDHANI’s commitment to supporting national programmes in defence, aerospace, space, nuclear energy and other critical sectors through continuous innovation and capacity enhancement.
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As the Guest of Honour, Dr. Komal Kapoor, Chairman & Chief Executive, Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), highlighted the importance of strategic materials in ensuring India’s technological self-reliance and long-term energy security. He emphasized the need for strengthening indigenous capabilities in advanced materials and fostering greater collaboration among strategic organizations to meet future national requirements.
In his Keynote Address, Dr. S.V.S. Narayana Murty, Chairman & Managing Director, MIDHANI, highlighted the pivotal role of strategic materials in realizing the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. He emphasized that self-reliance in advanced materials is fundamental to strengthening India’s defence, aerospace, space, nuclear and energy sectors. He outlined MIDHANI’s continuous efforts towards indigenous development of superalloys, titanium alloys, special steels and advanced materials, while expanding into value-added products and emerging technology domains. He noted that collaboration among industry, research institutions and strategic agencies would be critical for building a resilient and globally competitive materials ecosystem for the nation.
Delivering the Chief Guest Address, Dr. Jaiteerth R. Joshi, Director General, BrahMos (DRDO) and CEO & Managing Director, BrahMos Aerospace, underscored the strategic importance of advanced materials in enabling next-generation defence and aerospace platforms. He stressed the need for accelerated indigenous development, qualification and deployment of critical materials to support national security requirements and reduce dependence on imports. He commended MIDHANI’s significant contributions to India’s strategic programmes and emphasized the importance of strengthening partnerships among industry, academia and research organizations to achieve technological leadership and self-reliance.
During the technical session, MIDHANI showcased its capabilities, achievements and future roadmap in strategic materials. Technical presentations were subsequently delivered from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL); Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC); Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC) and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL). The presentations highlighted emerging technological requirements, advanced material innovations, evolving industry needs and collaborative opportunities across strategic sectors.
The speakers highlighted MIDHANI’s role as India’s premier manufacturer of special metals and alloys, supplying critical materials for indigenous aerospace, defence, space and nuclear programmes. Particular emphasis was laid on the company’s contributions in supplying superalloys, titanium alloys and special steels for strategic platforms, missile systems, aero-engines, naval applications and advanced engineering applications.
A high-level panel discussion on the theme “Role of Strategic Materials in Viksit Bharat 2047” featured distinguished experts including Dr. Komal Kapoor, Chairman & Chief Executive, Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC); Dr. R. Balamuralikrishnana, Director, Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL); Dr. Govind, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), ISRO; Commodore Hemant Walia, Military Seaworthiness & Quality Assurance Authority (MSQAA); and Shri A. Subramaniyam of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
The panel deliberated on strengthening indigenous material ecosystems, enhancing supply-chain resilience, accelerating advanced material development and fostering collaboration among industry, academia and strategic organizations. The experts observed that recent geopolitical developments and global supply-chain disruptions have reinforced the need for India to build robust domestic capabilities in critical materials and reduce dependence on imports.
The panel further noted that strategic materials will form the backbone of India’s future growth in defence, aerospace, space exploration, clean energy and advanced manufacturing sectors. Institutions such as MIDHANI will continue to play a pivotal role in enabling these national missions through indigenous development, technological innovation and reliable supply of critical materials.
The programme witnessed enthusiastic participation from scientists, engineers, industry professionals, researchers and representatives from strategic organizations, resulting in insightful discussions on the roadmap for achieving Viksit Bharat 2047 through self-reliance in advanced materials.
