DEFENCE CORRIDOR TO MAKE UP SELFRELIANT IN EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING
UP’S Defence Corridor project is highly ambitious and prestigious. It will make the state emerge as one of the most advanced centres when it comes to manufacturing of defence equipment as well as giving employment to thousands of people
Thanks to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s efforts, the Uttar Pradesh Government is making rapid strides towards the development of a Defence Corridor. In the last three years, the Government has received investment proposals from 55 big companies in the defence sector, of which 19 have been allotted land to set up their factories.
The Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) has allotted 55 acres of land to the 19 firms, which will establish their manufacturing units at the cost of Rs 1,245 crore, providing employment to thousands of people. With these investments and many more in the pipeline in the Defence Corridor, the state is gearing up to become self-reliant in the manufacturing of defence equipment in near future.
It is worth noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the creation of a Defence Corridor in UP during the Investors' Summit in January, 2018. At that time, it was announced that the Defence Corridor would cover Lucknow, Kanpur, Chitrakoot, Jhansi, Agra and Aligarh nodes. Subsequently, domestic and foreign companies dealing in defence products signed Mous worth Rs 50,000 crore for investment in the corridor during the Defence Expo held in Lucknow in February, 2020. Most of the Mous have been signed for that part of the corridor, which falls in Aligarh’s Andla area, located on Khair Road. According to UPEIDA officials, a total of 29 companies submitted their proposals to the Government for setting up their units in Aligarh node and also requested for allotment of land for the same. A total of 11, 8, and 6 defence manufacturing companies sought land from the Government to set up their factories in Lucknow, Kanpur and Jhansi nodes respectively. Acting promptly on their requests, UPEIDA has so far allotted
55.4 hectares of land to 19 international companies in the Aligarh node.
Prominent among the 19 companies include Anchor Research Lab LLP, which will invest Rs 550 crore, and has been allotted 10 hectares of land by the UPEIDA. Similarly, 10 hectares of land has also been allotted to Sadicate Innovation International, which is investing Rs 150 crore. Jai Sai Anu Overseas, which will set up its unit at the cost of Rs 100 crore, has been given 4.5 hectares of land. Similarly, Milkar Defence Pvt Ltd has been allotted four hectares of land to set up its unit at the cost of Rs 98.25 crore. Tractrix Auto Dynamics, which is investing Rs 40 crore, has been allotted two hectares to set up its factory.
Officials say that the land allotment work has been completed in the Aligarh node. At present a 4-lane road is being constructed in Aligarh node at the cost of Rs 10.21 crore. Besides, construction of a power house and a boundary wall is also underway. Soon the companies that have got the land will start the construction of the factory also.
In a major development,
Uttar Pradesh will soon start manufacturing the Next - Gen state-of-the-art Brahmos missile. The Chief Minister has given his consent to this project, the project is expected to produce 300 missiles by the third year. Around 10,000 personnel including skilled, semi skilled, non-skilled would get employment opportunities directly or indirectly.