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Want to manufacture BrahMos so no country casts evil eye on us: Rajnath
The BrahMos manufacturing centre, announced by BrahMos Aerospace, is a modern, state-of-art facility in the Lucknow node of the defence industrial corridor.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday laid the foundation stone for the Defence technology and test centre and BrahMos manufacturing centre -- to be established by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Lucknow.
Speaking on the occasion, Singh said India wants to manufacture BrahMos missiles not to attack anyone, but to ensure that no other country has the audacity to cast an evil eye .
The Uttar Pradesh government has allocated 200 acres of land for the project.
The BrahMos manufacturing centre, announced by BrahMos Aerospace, is a modern, state-of-art facility in the Lucknow node of the defence industrial corridor.
The next generation BrahMos missiles are to be manufactured at the facility, which is scheduled to be operational in 2-3 years. Around 80-100 missiles will be manufactured at the Lucknow unit each year. The missile is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
Singh expressed confidence that the foundation laying of the two units would herald a new chapter in defence manufacturing of the country, and the economies of Lucknow as well as the state.
So far, an investment of ₹1,400 crore has been received for the defence corridor in UP, Singh said.
Stressing the need to maintain nuclear deterrence, he said, “We want to manufacture BrahMos on Indian soil so that no country has the audacity to cast an evil eye on India.”
“It has never been the character of India to attack any other country or grab even an inch of land of any country,” he said.
Singh stated that India has attained a respectable position in areas of defence technologies, including the development of state-of-the-art missile systems in recent years and has made commendable progress in building its defence industrial base.
He slammed Pakistan of carrying out terror attacks in the country.
“There is a neighbouring country. It got separated from India sometime back. I don’t know why its intentions vis-a-vis India are always bad. It committed acts of terrorism in Uri and Pulwama,” the defence minister said.
“And then our Prime Minister took a decision and we went to the soil of that country and destroyed terrorist hideouts and when there was a need for airstrikes, we did that successfully,” he said.
“We gave the message that if somebody dares to cast an evil eye on us, then not just on this side of the border, but we can go to the other side and hit them. This is India’s strength,” Rajnath added.
The defence minister praised UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath for expediting land acquisition for the project.
“When I spoke to Yogiji and expressed the desire to establish this project, he did not take a second and said land will be made available at the earliest. I thank the chief minister for making 200 acres available in just one and a half months,” he said.
Rajnath Singh stated that action against the mafia and improved law and order scenario in the state has made Uttar Pradesh a favoured destination for companies in India and abroad.
“Before 2017, riots were common, criminals and mafia ruled the roost in the state. But today, Uttar Pradesh’s law and order is being discussed in other states. ‘UP ki sarkar bhaut asardar’ is what others are saying,” said Singh.
