Efforts will be made to manufacture military equipment in TN

Addressing an interactive session as part of the ongoing initiatives for the development of Tamil Nadu Defence Corridor here on Friday, Sitharaman said the collaboration between PSUs and the private sector would lead to manufacture of world-class defence equipment. “Efforts will be made to manufacture military equipment in TN. Entrepreneurs of the local area should come forward in this regard,” she added. 

More than 200 representatives from the local industry, besides senior officials from Ministry of Defence, Defence PSUs, BHEL, Ordnance Factory Board and the State government participated.

She also spoke about how the ancillary units in Tiruchy, through their enhanced technical qualification, manpower training, and other techniques, proved to be a major boost to BHEL. 

While discussing Tejas, Sitharaman said, “We ordered 123 Tejas aircraft but HAL, Bengaluru, can only produce six to eight aircraft annually. Through the Defence Corridor, smaller units can manufacture the parts and establish separate assembling units,” Sitharaman said.

Strongly defending the criticism against Prime Minister Modi privatising public sectors, Sitharaman said PSUs are not competent enough to supply every requirement of the Indian Army and so, involving the smaller units would solve the problem. This would also boost the Make in India initiative, she said. “But for me, a Defence Make in India should emerge. If production is more, the equipment could be exported to Africa and South East Asian Countries,” Sitharaman added. 

Sitharaman also invited local manufacturers to showcase products related to defence supplies so as to attract the attention of more than 300 manufacturers expected to be present in the DefExpo 2018 scheduled between April 11 to 14 in Chennai. “At least 75 companies from 60 countries are expected to visit the expo,” she said.