From Maintenance to Meaning: Four Years of MRO Channel Forum

The first thing I built after retirement was not a website. It was a question.

What happens to knowledge when the people carrying it leave the room?

That thought stayed with me long after I retired from the Indian Army in 2017. For decades, I focused on maintenance, repair, and overhaul—MRO, as we called it in military sustainment. It was the invisible discipline behind operational readiness. Machines survived because somebody understood failure before it happened. Aircraft flew because someone had noticed stress fractures that no one else could see. Maintenance professionals kept entire systems running, often without recognition. They worked in the background, ensuring dependability.

And yet, after retirement, I began to feel that this entire field was underserved. Strategy received attention. Operations attracted prestige. But maintenance—the foundation that sustained capability—rarely occupied the center of discussion.

The feeling refused to leave me alone.

At first, I had no grand plan. I wanted to build a digital space for maintenance ideas and technical talks. At that time, my son Rahul and his company, Handysolver, helped me make a small platform named MRO Digest. It was a useful application, like a doorway opening into a new world.

I started sharing articles on that platform. I focused on MRO, technology, aerospace, defense systems, and other tech developments that interested me. Some were my own reflections. Others were articles I came across and believed deserved attention. The software made publishing easy. This was key because I was learning from scratch.

I spent decades studying military systems. Now, after retirement, I’m learning about websites, digital publishing, and online platforms.

I enjoyed it.

Even in those early days, Lt Gen NB Singh remained connected to the effort. We stayed connected from the start. He also wrote articles during the MRO Digest phase. He often wrote about strategy and readiness. His support made me confident that this idea mattered beyond my own interest.

But as time passed, I realized something important. A website full of articles was not enough. Knowledge needed interaction. Professionals needed a space to share ideas, challenge each other, and grow together.

I collaborated with my son again, and we created a forum platform. We called it MRO Digest Forum at first. I later renamed the idea to MRO Channel Forum. MRO Digest remains a separate place for articles.

That was when the real work began.

I started reaching out to people one by one. I reached out to everyone I had worked with or met. This included anyone who might care about MRO, technology, readiness, or strategic issues. I connected with them through phone calls, LinkedIn, or even chance encounters.

Looking back, I see how much this journey relied on relationships formed over decades.

While browsing LinkedIn one day, I found a meaningful comment by Brig YVR Vijay. I also had a personal connection. As a young officer, I served under his father who was the commandant of our college. I knew Brig Vijay in a professional capacity, so I decided to call him.

The conversation was warm from the beginning.

I explained what I was trying to build, and he immediately showed interest. He joined the forum and became an active contributor—a role he continues to play even today.

Soon afterward, I came across writings by Lt Gen Anil Kapoor. His work in asset management fit well with the discussions I wanted the forum to spark. I reached out to him, too. He joined us and helped shape our thinking with several key ideas.

The forum began to develop a life of its own at a gradual pace.

Then came one of those moments in life that feel almost providential.

I remember visiting Delhi Cantonment one day to pick up groceries from the canteen. Afterward, I stopped for lunch at a nearby restaurant. As I entered, I noticed Maj Gen Ashok Kumar sitting with his family.

We had served together earlier, so I approached him and greeted him.

During our conversation, I mentioned the work I was trying to do through the MRO Channel Forum. To my delight, he immediately became enthusiastic about the idea. He said he would like to stay connected and help take it forward.

That meeting became an important turning point.

Through this connection, I later met Mr Pradeep Gupta. He is very knowledgeable and dedicated to improving India’s tech skills. He too supported the MRO Channel Forum.

At the same time, I continued teaching myself new digital tools. I began with WordPress. Building the platform myself, one page and article at a time, was very satisfying. Retirement had given me the time to learn.

The website got busy, so I began inviting authors to write articles. To my delight, authors started responding.

Gen Ashok Kumar suggested a completely new idea to me.

“Why don’t we start a YouTube channel?”

At first, the idea felt intimidating. Writing articles was one thing. Recording, editing, uploading videos, and managing a channel was a whole different task. But I have always enjoyed learning new things, so I decided to try.

Gen Ashok Kumar guided me through the basics. He had experience with other media platforms. I still remember the excitement of our first simple recording setup. We spoke, recorded the conversation, and realized that yes—it could actually work.

That small experiment developed into the MRO Channel Forum YouTube channel.

The process required enormous effort. Recording was only the beginning. There was editing, formatting, uploading, organizing thumbnails, and handling audio issues. Once again, my son stepped in and helped me set up editing software and understand the workflow.

Gen Ashok Kumar hosted the early interviews. We began creating a strong archive of talks on MRO, defense tech, strategy, logistics, and industrial capability.

Over time, the channel became more than a collection of videos. It became a knowledge bank.

Today, anyone entering the profession can find valuable discussions and insights. These might have been lost with retirement or hidden in private chats.

Then came another milestone: our first webinar.

I had never organized a webinar before and did not know where to begin. We picked additive manufacturing as our topic, even though I was unsure. It shows where maintenance, manufacturing, and defense will meet in the future.

Managing the publicity became a learning experience. I asked my daughter Amrita, an architect, to help create a banner for the event. She created our first webinar graphic. This design set the standard for many events that followed.

The webinar had Gp Capt Ashok Kumar Singh as the main speaker. Gen Ashok Kumar led the session. Also, Lt Gen NB Singh shared his wisdom.

Later we did another seminar on leveraging technology in defence MRO, in this the main speakers were Lt Gen Kapil Aggarwal and Air Vice Marshal Rajiv Gandotra. Lt Gen NB singh again shared his wisdom.

Watching experts from different fields share ideas on our platform provided a new perspective. The platform was now belonged to a growing community.

More authors joined over time.

One particularly meaningful connection was with Air Vice Marshal SN Murti. He wrote great articles in yearbooks and small-circulation publications. I reached out to him. I suggested he think about republishing them digitally on our platform.

My reasoning was simple. Valuable knowledge shouldn’t stay locked in limited publications. Digital platforms can share those insights more widely.

He graciously agreed and became one of our important contributors.

We set up an invitation-only WhatsApp group. This group is for professional talks about MRO and technical topics. The group slowly drew in thoughtful members. This included authors and defense commentators like Lt Gen Ashok Shivane and Maj Gen Jagatbir Singh.

The discussions there became lively, informed, and valuable.

Then another important opportunity emerged.

I learned that Maj Gen Rambir Mann was working with the Punjab government on skill development initiatives. I reached out to him since we knew each other from service. He joined our platform and shared valuable content. Later, he kindly invited me to attend a conclave in Chandigarh related to skill development and industry.

That conclave left a deep impression on me.

I remember hearing about a Punjab MSME that makes parts for commercial aircraft engines. That example resonated, as it showed the potential already in the Indian MSME industry.

In our talks, I pointed out something important. Later, it was noted that with proper certification support, Indian MSMEs can greatly boost India’s aerospace and defense sector.

That was the strategic talk the MRO Channel Forum needed to inspire.

One of the proudest moments in this journey came in December 2025, when a joint MRO seminar organized by MCEME invited me to speak.

Standing there alongside Gen NB Singh while Air Vice Marshal SN. Murti joined virtually due to travel complications, I felt quietly grateful. What had begun as a small post-retirement experiment had evolved into something meaningful enough for our members to be invited by an institution.

Not because of funding.

Not because of marketing.

But because people believed in the value of the idea.

Today, we don’t do many new video interviews. Most foundational topics are already well covered. The YouTube channel is now more of an archive than an active media platform.

But the articles continue.

The discussions continue.

The WhatsApp group continues.

And somewhere along the way, I also began writing books.

One focused on innovation, maintenance, and strategy. Another explored the history of military industrial bases. A third became more personal—a reflection on the methods, habits, and approaches that helped me during service and to continue learning after retirement and eventually create this entire ecosystem, from WordPress websites to YouTube channels and digital publishing.

In many ways, that last book was also about refusing intellectual stagnation.

Retirement doesn’t have to mean stepping back from making a difference. Experience still has value if one is willing to adapt to new tools and new methods of communication.

Now, as MRO Channel Forum enters its fifth year, I often look back with gratitude.

The forum might seem small compared to larger institutions or commercial platforms. However, it addresses a gap that remained overlooked.

We created a place where professionals could exchange knowledge.

We created a repository where practical wisdom could survive beyond individual careers.

We created a bridge between experience and the next generation.

And perhaps that is fitting.

After all, maintenance itself has always been about preserving capability before it disappears.

In the end, I realize that is exsctly what I was trying to preserve too.