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M. Somasekhar

Having created a niche area of technological capability and component fabrication of high quality, SEC is diversifying into more defence applications.

Key ground support and airborne systems developed by SEC industries.

Hyderabad , Jan. 26

IN India's ambitious missile development programme, nearly 250 companies, both from the huge public sector to small industry in the private sector, have been playing an important role. The Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme launched in 1982 has successfully churned out Agni, Prithvi and is working on Nag, Akash and Trishul.

With Hyderabad being the hub of the research and development (R&D) effort for the development of the range of missiles, several private industries have become partners in the fabrication of key components and systems.

One such industry is the SEC Industries, which this year won the national award "Excellence in indigenisation of defence stores for the year 2000-02" for its pioneering efforts in the design and manufacture of critical machinery used in the production of missile airframes.

These robust airframes produced at the company's facility have been successfully tested on the Interim Test Range at Balasore, from where the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) test fires its range of missiles, including the intermediate range, Agni, surface to air missile, Prithvi, etc.

Celebrating its 50th year as a company, SEC Industries is currently focussed on aerospace assemblies, missile launchers and other sophisticated ground support systems for the defence. It also manufactures components and systems for Prithvi, Agni, Brahmos and other missiles, according to Mr D. Vidyasagar, Managing Director.

With a staff of 250, including 60 engineers and facilities spread over 5 acres in the industrial area of Balanagar, SEC Industries is well placed to develop cost-effective processes and equipment indigenously for space flight vehicles. It has emerged as a one-off facility in the country's private sector with the capability, he told Business Line.

The company's fabricated dual contour ogival airframe section uses a technology that finds extensive use in heat shields and payload structures in aerospace thereby reducing the country's technological dependence on imported equipment and saves valuable foreign exchange outflow. SEC has established a large facility and is further expanding.

"We are virtually an extension workshop for the missile programme. We provide both airborne and ground support systems (used for missile launches) for the missiles," he said.

Started as a small enterprise in 1954 in Vijayawada by Mr D. Seshagiri Rao, the present Chairman, with a foundry to manufacture pumps for the oil engines and the agriculture sector, SEC found itself competing with Kirloskar of Pune. Ten years later it moved to Hyderabad, away from pumpsets and into the fabrication of heavy structures such as road-rollers and road construction equipments.

After making some inroads and selling over 500 road-roller equipments, the company faced problems with the Government during the mid-1980s deciding against the purchase of heavy machinery, forcing it to move into manufacture of process equipment for the pharma and bulk drug sector, which was growing in Hyderabad.

Simultaneously, Mr Vidyasagar, who was working with Daimler Benz in Germany returned to assist his father Mr Seshagri Rao. They also drew up plans to enter the defence equipment sector in 1986.

Having created a niche area of technological capability and component fabrication of high quality, SEC is diversifying into more defence applications. With the defence laboratories under DRDO also looking for more private players to be involved in its projects, the scope for companies with good technological expertise is bound to increase.

More Stories on : Science & Technology | Andhra Pradesh | Engineering

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