Highlighting steps taken by the Union government to create a robust defence ecosystem, which not only caters to domestic security needs but also fulfills the requirements of friendly countries, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday in Lucknow said self-reliance is not an option but a necessity, as India is facing a double threat on its borders, along with new dimensions of warfare in a fast-changing world.
“So far, an investment of about ₹2,500 crore has been made in the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC) by various entities. The corridor will not only produce spare parts, nuts and bolts but also manufacture and assemble drones/unmanned aerial vehicles, electronic warfare, aircraft and BrahMos missiles,” Mr. Singh said while addressing a defence dialogue on ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ organised by the STRIVE think tank, a defence veterans’ initiative, in his parliamentary constituency.
Mr. Singh, described a self-reliant and strong military as the backbone of a sovereign country, which not only protects the borders but also safeguards the nation’s civilisation and culture. He hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for ensuring that the Armed Forces were not dependent on foreign weapons and equipment. “The country is moving ahead at an unprecedented pace to achieve the Prime Minister’s vision of making India a developed nation by 2047. The aim is to build an economically powerful and completely self-reliant India which is also a net defence exporter,” Mr. Singh said.
He lauded the Defence Industrial Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, and spoke about the 75% defence capital procurement budget for domestic industry in Financial Year 2023-24; 25% Research and Development (R&D) budget for private industry; and the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative and Technology Development Fund to promote start-ups.
PTI adds:
The Defence Minister said an “enabling” environment has been prepared for defence manufacturing through defence corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Mr. Singh said that about the UPDIC, “I have been told that for this corridor, the land which is planned to be acquired is around 1,700 hectare. Of this, more than 95% of land has already been acquired”.
Of this, 36 industries and institutions have been allotted nearly 600 hectare of land, he said, adding that 109 MoUs have been signed, with an estimated investment value of more than ₹16,000 crore.
So far, investment of about ₹2,500 crore has been made in the UPDIC by various entities, Mr. Singh said.
The UPDIC took off to an encouraging start with the announcement of investments worth over ₹3,700 crore in defence production at a meet organised in Aligarh in 2018.
Six nodes — Agra, Aligarh, Chitrakut, Jhansi, Kanpur and Lucknow — have been identified for developing the UPDIC.
