"One of largest private investment in ammunitions, missiles": Adani Defence and Aerospace CEO

Two mega facilities to manufacture ammunition and missiles by Adani Defence and Aerospace, one of India's leading private-sector defence manufacturers, were inaugurated on Monday.

It was inaugurated by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath, and Chief of Army Staff, Gen Manoj Pande in the presence of senior dignitaries from the Ministry of Defence and the state government.

CEO of Adani Defence and Aerospace Ashish Rajvanshi said that PM Modi's vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' has been the guiding factor for Adani and the UP Defence Corridor was announced as a strategic asset by the Indian government.

Speaking to ANI, Rajvanshi said, "There is a roadmap until 2047 that has been defined by Prime Minister Modi how India can actually become self-reliant in both energy and security. This is a very important establishment in the UP defence corridor...The UP defence corridor was announced as a strategic asset by the Indian government. And this is one of the largest private sector investments which has gone in ammunition and missiles."

He added, "So currently we have started the production of 150 million rounds of small calibre ammunition, which means 7.62 and 5.56. Over the next two years, we are going to double this capacity, going up to 300 million rounds. Within 12 months, the expectation is we'll start with 1,50,000 rounds of large calibre artillery gun ammunition and subsequently small calibre."

Joint President and Head of the Land System in the Adani Group, Ashok Wadhawan said that Asia's largest ammunition park has been inaugurated with a strong emphasis on quality.

Wadhawan said, "Asia's largest ammunition park has been inaugurated, where we have started with small calibre ammunition first, which is 5.56 going up to sniper rifles .338, which we are manufacturing. 100 billion rounds today. In another two months, 150 million rounds going up to 200 million rounds will be manufactured.""The most important piece of Atmanirbhar Bharat is not just to produce the large capital procurement, but it is also to make sure that the forces run. And that's what the user wanted. That's how we realized that a lot of what was being imported and the quality was important. So we put up this plant," he added.

Defence Enthusiast and Mrs India 2022, Mehak Suri, also appreciated the event and said that it is a tribute to the Balakot airstrike.

"Today's event is a tribute to Balakot airstrike and it happened exactly five years ago. And during those times, the missiles and ammunitions which were used were all foreign. Nothing was Indian. All were imported. And today, you're seeing the reality. Our Atmanirbar dream is becoming a reality now. And Adani Air Defence and Aerospace is playing a major role in that," she told ANI.

Notably, the unveiling of the facilities coincided with the fifth anniversary of the Balakot airstrike 'Operation Bandar', a historic operation by the Indian Air Force that was a testimony to India's strategic assertiveness over external threats.

These facilities, which are the first of their kind in the private sector in India and South Asia's largest, will provide a significant impetus to the nation's self-reliance and technological advancement in defence, as per a company release.

Adani Defence and Aerospace is the flagship defence company of the Adani Group. It is also focused on developing and offering unique capabilities across the unmanned segment, counter drones, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance technologies and cyber defence.

The ammunition complex started operations in less than two years of its announcement by the Adani Group during the Uttar Pradesh Investors' Summit in 2022. An industry 4.0 facility, it has state-of-the-art automation ensuring the highest standards in quality, safety and reliability using artificial intelligence and data analytics. The facility will also house explosive handling facilities for missiles and precision-guided munitions. (ANI)