Centrally sponsored scheme soon for pvt participation: Rajnath
LUCKNOW : Union defence minister Rajnath Singh announced on Friday that soon a centrally sponsored scheme would be launched to promote participation of private sector in defence manufacturing.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath said that Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor would have a major contribution in making India self-reliant.
Singh and Yogi Adityanath were speaking at an event organised in the state capital for promotion of investment in the UP Defence Industrial Corridor.
Singh, who also represents Lucknow in Lok Sabha, is on a three-day visit to his constituency.
Addressing the gathering, the union defence minister said: “Soon, the union government will come up with a centrally sponsored scheme for promotion of private sector in defence manufacturing.”
It would also have a provision to incentivise the defence industry in investing in defence corridors, he added.
“The government understands the power of the private sector. If public and private sector work together, very soon India will become self-reliant in defence manufacturing sector,” said Rajnath.
On the occasion, Singh also lauded the Uttar Pradesh government for its efforts in developing eco-system for investment in the defence corridor.
The union defence minister also pointed out that in the last five years, defence export of the country had increased by 334 per cent.
“Today, we are exporting defence equipment to 75 countries,” he said.
He assured that soon production would start in all six nodes of the defence corridor in Uttar Pradesh.
Singh said for the first time, the private sector had been given a share in the domestic manufacturing budget.
“How much interest we are taking can be seen from the fact that we have given 350 licenses in seven years from 2014 to 2021 as compared to about 200 licenses from 2000 to 2014,” said Singh.
Singh added that earlier, people were wary of doing business in UP and Bihar but now an environment had been created in UP which was attracting large business.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath said that Uttar Pradesh would play a prominent role in making the country self-reliant in the defence manufacturing sector. “Defence corridor will play a major role in ‘Make In India’ programme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” said Yogi Adityanath. He pointed out that even during the Covid-19 phase, all work related with the defence corridor continued in the state.
“For investment in the Defence Industrial Corridor, 23 MOUs have been signed which will bring investment of Rs 50,000 crore,” said the CM.
In Aligarh node of the defence corridor, land had been allotted to 24 companies which would bring investment of Rs 11,203 crore, added the CM. “In Lucknow node of the defence corridor, next generation of Brahmos missile will be manufactured, while, in Jhansi, Bharat Dynamics Limited will manufacture Akash missile,” said the CM.