Assam Eyes Defence Manufacturing Boom: CM Meets Defence Minister

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma discussed the establishment of a Defence Corridor in Assam with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The initiative aims to leverage Assam's benefits for defence manufacturing and boost regional job opportunities. Existing corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have already seen significant investments.

In a strategic move to bolster local manufacturing and job creation, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday, discussing the establishment of a Defence Corridor in Assam.

Sharing a photograph with Rajnath Singh on social media platform X, Sarma stated, 'Grateful to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for meeting me today. We had a very positive discussion on establishing a Defence Corridor in Assam. To utilise Assam's competitive advantage to become a defence manufacturing hub, we also deliberated on the possibility of organising a Defence Conclave in the State.'

The Defence Corridor aims to capitalize on Assam's strategic advantages to boost local manufacturing and create job opportunities. The Central government, in its 2018-19 budget, announced the establishment of two Defence Industrial Corridors (DICs) to develop a holistic defence manufacturing ecosystem. One corridor has been operational in Uttar Pradesh, featuring six nodes: Aligarh, Agra, Jhansi, Kanpur, Chitrakoot, and Lucknow. Another has been set up in Tamil Nadu, encompassing five nodes: Chennai, Hosur, Coimbatore, Salem, and Tiruchirappalli.

According to data from the Uttar Pradesh government, 108 Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) have been signed with industries, envisaging an investment of Rs 12,191 crore. So far, Rs 2,445 crore has been invested. Similarly, the Tamil Nadu government has formalized arrangements with 53 industries, leading to a potential investment of Rs 11,794 crore. Already, Rs 3,894 crore has materialized in investments for the Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor.

At present, there are no proposals for the establishment of additional Defence Industrial Corridors in the country.