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Rajnath in Lucknow: 95% land for UPDIC acquired, big investment flowing in
India's defence exports are expected to reach ₹20,000 crore in the coming months, up from ₹1,900 crore in 2014, according to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Speaking at the UP Defence Industrial Corridor in Lucknow, Singh said that the facility would manufacture drones, aircraft, missiles and electronic warfare systems. The minister said that over 95% of the 1,700 hectares of land required for the project had been acquired.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh has said that the country’s defence exports will be worth ₹20,000 crore in the next few months. He also referred to the importance of the upcoming UP Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC), where over 95% of the total 1,700 hectares of land required for the purpose had been acquired.
“Our defence equipment exports that were around ₹1,900 crore in 2014, have now jumped to about ₹16,000 crore, and over the next few months we will touch ₹20,000 crore. By 2047, we are confident of becoming a developed country, one that is self-reliant both economically and militarily,” the defence minister said on Saturday at ‘Defence Dialogues’, a function held at Surya Officers’ Club auditorium in the Lucknow cantonment.
The UPDIC has been conceived with the intention of reducing foreign dependence on the Indian aerospace and defence sector and Rajnath said that at UPDIC manufacturing won’t be limited to ‘defence spare parts and nuts and bolts.’
The defence minister, who also referred to the “twin threats” on India’s borders, also said that domestic defence production had now crossed more than 1 lakh crore and added that UPDIC would give a further push to the country’s defence preparedness.
“Here, we will manufacture drones, UAVs, electronic warfare (weapons), aircraft and Brahmos missiles too,” Rajnath said.
“The UPDIC is a key component of our mission of Atma Nirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) and work is on in mission mode. So far, 600 hectares have been allotted to 46 industries and institutions and 109 MoUs – with a total investment value worth ₹60,000 crore - have been signed. This is remarkable as about ₹2,500 crore investment has already been done by different entities,” he said.
“All nodes of UPDIC, including Agra, Aligarh, Lucknow, Kanpur, Jhansi and Chitrakoot are cities linked to our glorious past and our job is to link them with a glorious future, and we are well on course (to achieving it),” Rajnath added.
The defence minister also praised chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
“I must say that our chief minister is also taking an active interest in the UPDIC project and its development,” he said.
TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE
The defence minister said that there has been a transformational change in India’s defence sector.
“Now, 75% of defence capital acquisition has been reserved for the domestic industry and this translates to more than 1 lakh crore in the current fiscal. We have allocated 25% of the fund to industry-led research and development,” he said.
ALLOWING MORE INDUSTRY PARTICIPATION
“We have simplified the licensing process for participation of private companies in the defence sector,” Rajnath said.
He also said that armed forces, industries, academia and research should come together to aid the ‘atma nirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India)’ mission.
“Even as we aim to be militarily self-reliant, this self-reliance isn’t limited to making arms for just our needs. It also means developing our capacity to the extent of exporting arms and equipment to other nations,” he said.
