Adani’s ammunition & missile manufacturing units come up in UP defence corridor

Adani Defence & Aerospace’s two mega facilities to manufacture different calibre ammunition and missiles were inaugurated in the UP defence corridor at Kanpur on Monday, which is expected to meet demand of armed forces and police that is largely dependent on defence public sector undertakings for its supplies.

Spread over 500 acres, the facility in Kanpur is set to become one of the largest integrated ammunition manufacturing complexes and will produce high-quality small, medium and large calibre ammunition for the armed forces, paramilitary forces and police, Adani said in a statement.

The facility has started rolling out 150 million rounds of small calibre ammunition, estimated at 25% of India’s annual requirement, the company informed. Speaking on the occasion virtually, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said India faces a difficult geopolitcal neighbourhood and for that reason the country has to keep its defence sector strong. Only through strategic autonomy, India with civilisational past and a strong economy can leave an imprint on the global stage, the Minister pointed out.

• Also read: Adani Group sees defence manufacturing as a sizeable opportunity

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, “Adani Defence & Aerospace has made the largest investment in the Uttar Pradesh Defence Corridor, which will play a crucial role in developing a vibrant defence ecosystem. It is encouraging to see the commencement of operations within 18 months of allocating land.”

Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande who was present at the function along with other senior colleagues and personnel, said his force has a large ammunition inventory comprising 175 variants of different calibre and type, ranging from those needed for vintage platforms to advanced precision-guided munitions. Out of these, 134 ammunition variants have already been indigenised through efforts of DRDO, Defence Public Sector Units and Private Industry. However, due to production constraints, capacities and large requirements, for both operational and training needs, there exists a demand versus supply gap, which needs to be met through a diverse indigenous vendor base of private industry, General Pande told the gathering.

According to him, more than 85 per cent of Army’s ammunition is now being sourced indigenously. In addition to that, multiple cases are in advanced stages of fructification.

“To further promote this initiative, the Indian Army has carried out a holistic review for a time-bound indigenisation plan of all ammunition currently imported, by onboarding private industry. Accordingly, a well-defined roadmap has been put in place based on the type of ammunition and existing capacities”, he said.

The Army Chief also spoke of export potential of indigenously manufactured ammunition. “With the evolving global security environment, the demand for ammunition is expected to grow manifold. Considering the limited players in the field, worldwide, with expertise in ammunition manufacturing, and our competitive manufacturing cost, the Indian Industry will have a huge advantage. The export potential, according to one estimate, is approximately ₹16,000 crore. Therefore, to emerge as a global hub for niche technology and innovation in the field of ammunition, it is imperative to maintain the desired quality and global standards”, he said.

He also mentioned that 32 variants of ammunition in twelve categories were identified in Phase One for manufacture by the Indian Industry. “All cases are likely to fructify in the next one year, as per the envisaged timelines. Approval has been already obtained for five additional ammunition categories to be developed in Phase Two. Simultaneously, MAKE Programmes for developing new generation ammunition including the Electronic Fuses currently not held in the inventory, are also being progressed”, the General pointed out.

Ashish Rajvanshi, CEO of Adani Defence & Aerospace, stated that the establishment of these ammunition and missiles complexes will add the company’s quest for self-reliance. “With a planned investment of over ₹3,000 Crores, its impact extends far beyond the defence sector. It will create over 4,000 jobs, with five times the multiplier effect on MSMEs and the local ecosystem benefiting from it indirectly. We are committed to ensuring that our efforts are inclusive and sustainable, fostering growth while preserving the environment for generations to come.”

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