CHENNAI: GMR Group, India's leading infrastructure company, will set up an 'Aerospace and Defence Manufacturing Hub' at its Special Investment Region at Hosur in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu, to encourage indigenous production of defence equipment in the country.
India stands amongst the top five defence spenders in the world. However, due to an underdeveloped defence manufacturing sector, India was one of the largest importers of defence equipment in the world--approximately 60 per cent of requirements were met through imports.
Indigenization of defence production was a key priority for the government, a company release said on Wednesday.
Under the 'Make in India' initiative, the government has recently announced setting up of a Defence Industrial Production Corridor (DIPC) in Tamil Nadu.
The corridor would connect Hosur and Chennai with Kattupalli port, Chennai, Tiruchi, Coimbatore and Hosur as its key nodes and aims to provide impetus to the defence production industry in the country and in the region, in particular.
The proposed defence manufacturing hub at Hosur was a step in making this vision a reality.
The project was a Joint Venture (JV) between GMR Group and the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO).
Under the project, about 600 acres of prime industrial land has been made ready for immediate occupation.
The proposed hub was an ideal location for defence related manufacturing.
Major Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) like Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) and Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) were located only in the 5060 km radius.
The hub also benefits from the established industrial ecosystem in Hosur, 700-plus MSMEs engaged in precision engineering in the region.Proximity to Bangalore ensures ready access to skilled manpower, the release said.
Speaking on setting up of the manufacturing hub, Mr.BVN Rao, Business Chairman-Transportation and Urban Infrastructure, GMR Group said "this defence manufacturing hub can potentially be a game changer for the region.''
''We will be providing all the necessary infrastructure facilities to attract global majors to set up their manufacturing facilities here and set an International benchmark'', he added.