PSU plant for missiles in Maharashtra

 

Maharashtra is set to get a share from the “Make In India” pie as Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) has conveyed to the state government that it will be investing up to Rs 1,000 crore for setting up a manufacturing plant of short-range missiles in Amravati. The defence sector public undertaking is expected to start setting up the facility by the end of this year, highly-placed sources in the government confirmed.
The state government had allocated 200 hectares (500 acres) of land in Nandgaon Peth in Amravati to the PSU in 2011 for setting up a manufacturing unit of short-range defence missiles. However, the project was shelved for technical reasons.
“With the change in government and change in defence policy, Bharat Dynamics Limited has once again decided to revive its plans for building up the facility in Maharashtra,” a senior officer said, requesting anonymity. Sources confirmed that this would be the first project coming up in the state as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make In India” campaign.
“BDL is expected to start work on the site from this December, this is what has been conveyed to us. If it happens then the production might begin in the next three years or so,” the officer said.
BDL was searching for expanding its manufacturing units that had ended in Amravati in 2011. The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation had offered two sites, one in Akola and another in Amravati. An initial amount of Rs 20 crore was also paid to the MIDC and the laying of the foundation stone for the production facility was expected to be done by then President Pratibha Patil, another officer in the industries department said.
BDL, a Central government subsidiary, is known for making the surface-to-surface Prithvi missiles. It also produces the anti-tank Nag missile and three versions of India’s strategic ballistic missile Agni. BDL also makes torpedoes for the Indian Navy at its facility in Visakhapatnam.
It had got an order of Rs 14,000 crore to manufacture Akash, the surface-to-air missile for the Indian Army, forcing it to expand its production facilities. The company also got an order for Rs 1,000 crore to make the air version of Akash for the Indian Air Force.

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