Midhani, the public sector, special materials supplier to strategic sectors, has taken up a ₹1,400-crore modernisation-cum-new facilities creation initiative.

In Phase 1, involving ₹400-crore investment, it has modernised various captive facilities such as the Forge Press, Ring Roll Mill, ESR, etc. Union Minister of Defence and Finance Arun Jaitley dedicated the units to the nation at a function held on the campus on Sunday.

Second phase

In the second phase, for which the minister laid foundation, the public sector defence unit will take up various captive facilities expansion. They include an Armouring Unit, Tungsten Power Plant, Solar Power unit, Close Die Forging & Reheating Furnaces.

The entire project, to be completed in 3-4 years, will entail an investment of ₹1,000 crore. In the Plate Mill, Midhani will have the unique capability of producing special alloy and titanium alloy plates ranging from 4 mm to 20 mm in thickness, said Chairman and Managing Director, Dinesh Kumar Likhi.

The new melt shop with a combination of vacuum degassing (VD) and electro slag refining (ESR) will be the first of its kind facility in the country capable of meeting the material requirements for manufacture of indigenous Dhanush barrel, Power plant rotor forgings, barrels for T-72 and T-90 tanks, special steel forgings for nuclear submarine etc, he said.

New units

The CMD said Midhani will soon establish an armouring unit at Rohtak, Haryana, and also an aluminium alloy plant at Nellore in Andhra Pradesh.

The Defence Minister, who witnessed the special Melting and Forging facilities wanted the PSU to help achieve self-reliance in the areas of special metals and carry forward the ‘Make in India’ programme.

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