MoD has signed an MoU to establish three state-of-the-art testing facilities in Chennai under the Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor
MoD inks MoU To Set Up Testing Facilities In Tamil Nadu
MoD has signed an MoU to establish three state-of-the-art testing facilities in Chennai under the Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor – one each in Unmanned Aerial System, Electronic Warfare and Electro Optics (EO) domains. The MoU, under the Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS), was exchanged between senior officials of MoD and Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited in the presence of Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane in New Delhi on July 02, 2024.
With an outlay of Rs 400 crore, the DTIS was launched by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh in May 2020 to set up state-of-the-art testing facilities in collaboration with private industry and Central/State Government, promoting indigenous defence production, reducing military equipment imports and enhancing self-reliance.
The DTIS provides up to 75% government funding as ‘Grant-in-Aid’, with the remaining 25% funded by the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPVs), comprising Indian private entities and State/Central Governments. For the UAS testing facility, Keltron, a government of Kerala undertaking, is the lead SPV member, with some private sector companies being the consortium members. BEL and India Optel Limited are the lead SPV members in the EW and EO testing facilities respectively.
Upon the completion of the project, they will provide advanced testing equipment and services to both government and private industry, thus giving a boost to ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence.
Defence Industrial Corridor
A DIC is a dedicated region or area strategically planned to promote indigenous production of defence and aerospace-related items. It aims to reduce imports, enhance exports, and strengthen the domestic defence manufacturing ecosystem. India has established two Defence Industrial Corridors – one in Uttar Pradesh and another in Tamil Nadu. The Uttar Pradesh corridor encompasses nodes in Agra, Aligarh, Chitrakoot, Jhansi, Kanpur, and Lucknow.
The Tamil Nadu corridor includes nodes in Chennai, Coimbatore, Hosur, Salem, and Tiruchirappalli.
Objective
The primary objective is to promote self-reliance in defence manufacturing, reduce dependence on imports, and encourage the export of defence-related products. It also aims to generate employment opportunities, especially in the MSME sector, and spur economic growth.
