HAL, Indian Air Force get integrated portal to speed up projects while ensuring quality
BENGALURU: Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria on Friday operationalized a unique real-time information-sharing portal that would make the work processes of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL) projects for the Indian Air Force (IAF) transparent and quicker while ensuring higher quality as per IAF’s combat requirements.
The operationalizing of this portal, called HAL-Vayusena Inventory (HAVAI), comes just two days after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh formally handed over the Rs 48,000 crore project for producing and delivering 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk-1A fighter aircraft to the Indian Air Force by 2030. However, this portal would be relevant for all projects of the HAL for the IAF from here onwards.
The proof of concept for the newly operationalized portal had been cleared for development in September 2015 by then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar under the Digital India initiative and the project had the active involvement of Air Headquarters in New Delhi and Director of IAF’s enterprise resource planning platform, Integrated Materials Management Online System (IMMOLS).
Interestingly, while HAL and IAF each had their respective enterprise resource planning platforms – Industrial Financial System and IMMOLS – the two organisations never had an integrated portal that could provide each data on the requirements, project status and supply needs of the other.
HAVAI has integrated elements of the IMMOLS and the IFS to now provide real-time data of processes, which is likely to cut delays in deliveries of HAL products to meet IAF requirements.
Air Marshal M Baladitya, Senior Maintenance Staff Officer, Maintenance Command, IAF, said, “The operationalization of HAVAI portal will provide the much-needed visibility in terms of serviceability and decision-making. This Digital India initiative marks a new era that will enable transparency and synergy between the two government organisations. In the days to come, this platform will expand and absorb AI (Artificial Intelligence) and blockchain and make it more potent.”
Air Chief Bhadauria said, “The E-portal will bolster the competencies of the IAF and HAL and lead to increased serviceability of IAF weapon systems. This would facilitate secure information sharing between IAF and HAL for better coordination, improved transparency and faster decision-making.”
HAL Chairman and Managing Director R Madhavan, said, “The customer-centric portal would go a long way in leveraging the benefits of information sharing in real time. It will also enable the visibility of HAL repair milestones, provide instantaneous budgetary quotations against IAF orders and give information on status of supply against aircraft on ground and repair tasks undertaken by HAL divisions.”