BrahMos unit in Lucknow will strengthen India’s self-reliance in defence sector: Rajnath Singh

Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said the BrahMos Integration and Testing Facility Centre would strengthen India’s efforts towards aatma-nirbharta (self-reliance) in the defence sector.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh. (ANI PHOTO)

He made the remarks after virtually inaugurating the Lucknow-based facility from Delhi.

Terming the BrahMos facility in Lucknow as a matter of pride for the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC), Singh stated that it has already created around 500 direct and 1,000 indirect jobs.

He added that BrahMos is the confluence of top defence technologies of India and Russia.

Singh commended chief minister Yogi Adityanath for completing the project in a record 40 months. He lauded efforts of the scientists, engineers, and the state government, stating that his dream of seeing Lucknow contribute meaningfully to India’s defence infrastructure was finally being realised.

On the progress of the UP Defence Industrial Corridor project, Singh said: “A total of 180 MoUs have, so far, been signed with a proposed investment of ₹34,000 crore. Investment of ₹4,000 crore has already been made.”

Singh quoted the Missile Man of India and former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam who had said, “Unless India stands up to the world, no one will respect us.” In this world, fear has no place, only strength respects strength, the defence minister said.

He emphasised that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government’s vision of setting-up the corridor rests on its goal of developing the state as the world’s top defence production and export destination.

Speaking on the significance of the day, Singh termed the inauguration of the BrahMos Aerospace facility on National Technology Day (May 11) as historic. He recalled the 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests, conducted under the leadership of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which marked India’s emergence as a strategic power.

“On this day in 1998, under the leadership of respected Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji, our scientists showed India’s strength to the world by conducting nuclear tests in Pokhran.”

The highlight of the project is that the participation of both public and the private sector is being witnessed. In Lucknow itself, titanium and super alloy material plants are being started by PTC Industries Limited, Singh added.

“In addition, the foundation of seven additional critical projects is being laid. This would accelerate the pace of India’s self-reliance in the defence sector,” asserted Singh.

The defence minister reiterated the government’s vision of ‘Make-in-India, Make-for-the-World’, stressing that self-reliance not only means catering to India’s own security needs, but it also envisages making the country a key exporter of defence equipment to the global market.

Citing a recent report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which said that global military expenditure has risen to $2,718 billion in 2024, Singh stated that such a massive market is an opportunity India must seize.

“The launch of the BrahMos facility is a firm stride towards making India a significant player in the world’s defence production ecosystem,” he said.

He added that Kanpur, which was known as Manchester of East in the past, will regain its lost glory due to the Defence Corridor project. Kanpur is one of the six nodes of the defence corridor in UP.

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