Vidarbha Defence Hub’s DPR to seek Rs 146 crore from state

NAGPUR: The detailed project report (DPR) of Vidarbha Defence Industrial Hub, a public-private partnership (PPP) initiative promoted by former Master General Ordnance (MGO) Lt General Ravindra Thodge, is expected to be ready in a month. State government funds are being sought for the initiative, which will work on indigenisation of defence and aerospace items by roping in local industries.
This comes at a time the state government has approved defence and aerospace hubs in Nagpur, Aurangabad, Ahmednagar, Nashik and Pune, as part of its policy to boost the sector here.Thodge, in his capacity as MGO, was involved in procurement of items for the Army.
This is billed to be the first ever such initiative on PPP basis. A total investment of Rs217 core has been pegged for the hub. Out of this, Rs146 crore will be sought from the state government. Tata Technologies, which will be providing the know-how to local industries, will also pump in Rs66 crore, with the rest coming from local industries.
A proposal to get state government funds will be sent on the basis of the DPR. There are plans to start with the first phase of the hub by June this year. The hub will be located in Mihan area, said Dushyant Deshpande of Defence Industries Innovators Association (DIIA), which is also a part of the initiative.
Deshpande said the first phase would begin with skill development of students, who can be eventually absorbed as manpower in the industry. The full-fledged activities will begin by March 2019. This will include product development, testing and software facilities to be used on common basis by the industries. The hub’s premises are expected to be spread over 20 acre in Mihan.
The first meeting to get inputs from industry representatives was held on Wednesday. A representative of central government's Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC) was also present. He said JNARDDC has mooted a proposal to start an accreditation centre for aerospace grade metals in Nagpur. This can be used by the industries attached to the proposed hub as well.
The facility will be provide testing and quality assurance services for metals. Since aerospace alloys are generally made of aluminium, JNARDDC has planned to set up the facility. There are no major facilities of this type in the country, and industries have to send the material abroad currently.
The plan is, however, at a very initial stage, and the proposal will be put up before the union ministry of mines under which JNARDDC works. The guidelines for the type of testing facilities needed for the centre will be provided by TAAL, the aerospace wing of Tata Group, which has a unit in Mihan.
The need to have an facility for the aerospace industry was realized during interactions with TAAL, said the JNARDDC official. The JNARDDC official also told TOI that on one occasion the organization could not get a specific alloy, which was needed by the IAF’s maintenance command from the open market.
“The IAF needed a small quantity for maintenance purposes. May be the industries did not supply because of the low quantity, or lack of technology,” the source said.