On 26 February, 2024 the Adani Group launched South Asia’s largest missile complex at Kanpur. The plans for such a complex were initiated back in 2022 when the Uttar Pradesh Industrial Development Authority (UPIDA) inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with several firms, including Adani Defence and Aerospace (ADA) to develop Kanpur as South Asia’s largest manufacturing facility for arms and ammunition.
According to Ashish Rajvanshi, CEO of Adani Defence & Aerospace, the project calls for an investment of Rs 3,000 crore and will push the government’s goal of moving further towards ‘Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) in the defence sector.
The complex was inaugurated by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the presence of the Chief of Army Staff, Gen Manoj Pande on Monday. The chief minister stated that this was a moment of great pride for India, Uttar Pradesh and ensured that the state remained committed to the PM’s ‘Aatmanirbharta Initiative’.
The Chief of the Army Staff, Gen Manoj Pande said that the need for “self-reliance” in the current unstable geopolitical scenario was an “inescapable reality.” Stating that sourcing ammunition, spares and other maintenance requirements indigenously was a key requirement for “strategic prudence” and “operational readiness” at all times.
Coming to the issue of arms and ammunition, the army chief stated that India had “175 variants of different calibre and types, ranging from ammunition for vintage platforms to advanced precision-guided munitions. Out of these 134 ammunition variants have already been indigenised through efforts of DRDO, Defence Public Sector Units and the private industry.” He added, “I am happy to share that more than 85% of our ammunition is being sourced indigenously.”
The need of the hour said Rajvanshi was not just indigenous arms supplies for 10-15 days but for one or even two years. These were the learnings that current wars reflect.
Ashwin Ahmad
