Subhash Bhamre, the Union Minister of State for Defence, on Friday dedicated the new welding electrode facility of the Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (Midhani) to the nation.

The public-sector unit, under the Ministry of Defence, is the only company in India capable of manufacturing non-synthetic type welding electrodes for various defence applications (mainly for the construction of nuclear submarines, surface ships, among others).

The facility started with a pilot plant manufacturing 3-million tonnes of welding electrodes per month. The large-scale facility, which now has a capacity of 25-million tonnes per month, has been set up to meet the requirements of various strategic naval programmes. The minister also witnessed the latest melting processes such as vacuum arc re-melting for melting of titanium and special steels, electro slag refining furnace, ring rolling and forging operations. He wanted the company to play a bigger role in the Make in India programme.

Dinesh Kumar Likhi, Chairman & Managing Director, Midhani, said an armouring unit at Rohtak, Haryana, and an aluminum alloy plant at Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, were being planned to be set up.

Midhani has played an important role in equipping the country to be self-reliant with its contributions in fields such as research, development, manufacture and supply of critical alloys and products of national security and strategic importance.

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