Tata, Pipavav, Samtel Thales get DIPP nod for defence projects

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has recently cleared 16 proposals for defence manufacturing, including those of Tatas, Pipavav, Samtel Thales, Solar Industries, Titagarh Wagons and Premier Explosives, involving investment of Rs613 crore.

In a major boost to defence manufacturing and the government's `Make in India' initiative, the DIPP has so far issued 73 industrial licences in the defence sector during the last one year (since June 2014), against 50 licence granted between 2011 and May 2014.

Many of these proposals cleared recently were pending with the government for the last several years, according to an official release.

The approved licences are for various projects, including the manufacture of helicopters, aircrafts, radars, bullet-proof jackets and helmets, ammunition fired from artillery, tanks, helicopters and aircrafts, rockets and missiles, filled fuzes for artillery shells, mortar bombs, missiles, grenades, vessels of war, radar, electronic warfare systems, night vision devices, guns, howitzers, mortars, protected tactical vehicles, guns, howitzers, mortars, protected tactical vehicles, armoured vehicles, armoured personnel carriers, military fuses, UAVs etc.

Recently, the government had increased the initial validity period of industrial license for defence sector to seven years from earlier three years and further extendable up to three years, in view of the long gestation period of defence contracts to mature.

In addition to this, the government has taken a series of measures to improve the `Ease of Doing Business' in India. The government expects these measures to give a boost to private participation in the vast opportunities available for defence manufacturing in India.