PALAKKAD: Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) will open its fourth manufacturing complex at the Kinfra Integrated Industrial area at Kanjikode, near here, on Sunday.
Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan will inaugurate the function. Defence Minister A K Antony will preside over it. Opposition Leader Oommen Chandy and Industries Minister Elamaram Kareem will be present.
The production will begin on Monday.
Chairman-cum-managing director of BEML Limited V R S Natarajan told mediapersons here on Friday that the plant will begin production of vehicles, floating bridges and mil wagons for the Defence sector from Monday. He said that of the Rs 260 crore planned to be spent in the first phase, Rs 130 crore has been spent. The remaining amount will be spent in the second phase as and when additional land is allotted by the State Government.
In the first phase, the government had handed over 375 acres of land which had been acquired by Kinfra. The factory comprises an area of 2 lakh square feet area with two separate hangars. The foundation stone for the plant was laid on January 18, 2009. Though the plant was to be commissioned within 18 months, it has been completed in record time.
Natarajan said the new complex of BEML here would be a dedicated centre for the manufacture of defence equipment. Rail coach assembling such as bogie frames, side walls, end walls, rail coach bogie frames, LHB aggregates, other rail parts and spares will also be manufactured here in the second phase.
The chairman of BEML said the State Government has agreed to provide land for rail connectivity to BEML for its rail manufacturing facility, which is coming up in the second phase with the support of the State Government. It has provided direct employment to 200 people and will increase to 500 people after the completion of the second phase.
Field guns: BEML India has tied up with DMC International of Czhechoslovakia for the manufacture of the wheeled guns. It will supply 180 numbers of these guns within the next three and a half years. Similarly, it will also produce 100 numbers of tracted guns which are used in rough and sandy terrains.
Dedicated freight corridor: Natarajan said BEML Limited has written to the Railways that it was willing to produce 100-tonne-capacity stainless steel wagons under publicprivate participation.
Aerospace: BEML Limited also plans to diversify into the aerospace manufacturing division field. It will be engaged in aerospace design and the manufacturing of aggregates and parts.
Turnover and profits: Natarajan said the provisional turnover for 2009-10 is Rs 3,545 crore and the provisional profit has been pegged at Rs 290 crore.
The order book position as on March 31, 2010, was Rs 5,127 crore. He said that with the commissioning of the Palakkad plant, it is felt that BEML India will be able to achieve a turnover of Rs 5,000 crore by 2011- 12.