India may soon deploy robot soldiers on borders; manufacturing unit coming up in Nagpur

NAGPUR: Like China, even India will deploy robot soldiers along its borders in coming days — and these would be made in Nagpur, said chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. He was speaking at the ground-breaking event of a UAV and robot manufacturing unit planned by Nagpur-headquartered private ammunition firm, Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL).

Fadnavis said this is the first major investment proposed under the state's defence and aerospace policy and SDAL is expected to create robots that could replace human soldiers. Entailing an investment of Rs 12,000 crore, SDAL's unit at Mihan-SEZ is dubbed to be one of its kind in terms of scale. The promoters expect to finish building the basic infrastructure of Unit I in a year and come up with a prototype soon.


On a nostalgic note, Fadnavis said "in our childhood, we would watch a television serial, Star Wars (Star Trek), every Sunday. What was fiction has now become reality. The unit proposed to be started by SDAL is a step in this direction."

"Our soldiers brave the freezing heights along the Chinese border and Siachen glacier, where temperature drops to minus 40 degrees. Earlier, China deployed soldiers along the borders with India. For the last 3 to 4 months, Indian troops are not encountering any Chinese soldier on the other side, rather they are coming across robots instead. Soon, India would be making such robots who would stand guard on the country's frontiers," said Fadnavis. The robots would be made right at the unit in Nagpur," he said.

The dynamics of warfare are changing. Even trade is being weaponized, and supply lines have become weapons. In such times, only those countries which have the latest military power and technology would be able to safeguard their sovereignty, said Fadnavis.

Maharashtra govt has identified both defence and aerospace as thrust sectors. It is the age of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and semiconductors and the manufacturing sector could witness a metamorphosis in next 1,000 days.

Speaking on the occasion, Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari said Nagpur is emerging as a defence hub. Looking at the conflicts around the world, it has become necessary for every country to acquire the latest technology. "We don't want to empower ourselves by transgressing on other nations, but only to be strong enough to ensure peace," said minister Gadkari.

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