2 firms to set up ammunition units in UP’s defence corridor

Lucknow, Sep 8 : The upcoming Defence Corridor in Uttar Pradesh will not only host bigger companies manufacturing drones and missiles, but also firms making cartridges for the arms used by the security forces such as assault and sniper rifles and CQB carbines, frames for polymer frame pistols and safety equipment, among others.

Two companies, namely Delta Combat Systems Limited (Delta) and Werywin Defence Private Limited, are investing Rs 215 crore in the Jhansi node of the Defence Corridor to set up their units for manufacturing smaller arms.

The Delta Combat Systems Limited has been allotted 15 hectares of land to set up its plant at a cost of Rs 150 crore.It will manufacture cartridges for assault, sniper and INSAS rifles as well as CQB carbines and other weapons being used by the armed forces.

The CQB carbines are very effective as they can hit a target within a range of 200 metres, whereas the INSAS rifle, which is made on the lines of AK-47, was extensively used during the Kargil war.According to a government spokesman, the state government has also allotted land to companies for making Brahmos missiles and drones in Lucknow and Aligarh nodes of the Defence Corridor, respectively, and the construction work is expected to start soon.It may be recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the creation of a Defence Corridor in UP during the Investors Summit in January 2018.

Subsequently, the UP government decided to establish the corridor covering Lucknow, Kanpur, Chitrakoot, Jhansi, Agra and Aligarh districts.This was followed by the signing of MoUs worth Rs 50,000 crore with domestic and foreign companies manufacturing defence products during the Defence Expo held in Lucknow in February 2020.According to officials, 29 companies had submitted their proposals to the state government for setting up their factories in the Aligarh node of which 19 firms have been allotted 55.40 hectares of land by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA).The companies will be establishing their plants at a cost of Rs 1,245.75 crore.Similarly, 11, 6 and 8 companies had submitted their proposals for setting up their factories in Lucknow, Jhansi and Kanpur nodes, respectively.

The most prominent companies setting up their factories in the Aligarh node of the corridor are Allen & Alvan Pvt Ltd and Encore Research LLP, which will be making the most sophisticated drones.The companies are investing Rs 550 crore to set up their plants.