Defence Industrial Corridor

The Central Government of India announced the setting up of two Defence Industrial Corridors in the general budget for the year 2018-19. This announcement was made keeping in mind that India is the world's top 5 military spender and needs to support the expansion of the defence sector.

Defence Industrial Corridors in India

Currently, two Defence Industrial Corridors are being developed in India, one in Uttar Pradesh and another in Tamil Nadu. Multiple other private companies will join hands with the Government of India to attain the country's vision of self-reliance in defence.

Another major benefit of these two Defence Industrial Corridors would be increased employment opportunities, both direct and indirect.

Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor

1. The Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor is being developed by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority or UPEIDA.

2. The industrial corridor in Uttar Pradesh has six major nodal points, namely:

• Agra
• Aligarh
• Chitrakoot
• Jhansi
• Kanpur
• Lucknow

3. A total of 196.7853 hectares of land has been acquired in Uttar Pradesh to develop the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor.

4. The Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor will have the following facilities:

• Uninterrupted electricity and water supply along with pelican wire fence boundary.
• A 4-lane heavy-duty highway to ensure smooth connectivity between Bundelkhand Expressway and Delhi-Jhansi route.
• Single window approvals and clearances for defence and aerospace manufacturing units.
• Labour permits in the D&A industry for accommodating employment conditions.
• An easy reimbursement scheme for incentives and subsidies to fasten the process.

Tami Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor

1. The Tamil Nadu corridor is being developed by the state government of Tamil Nadu.

2. The industrial corridor of Tamil Nadu has 5 major nodal points, namely:

• Chennai
• Coimbatore
• Hosur
• Salem
• Tiruchirappalli

3. A total of 283.28 hectares of land has been acquired in Tamil Nadu to develop the Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor.

4. The Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor is being made keeping the mind the following strategic advantages:

• As Tamil Nadu has the largest coastline, it has three major government seaports, one major private seaport, and 22 minor ports.
• The state has four major international airports, namely Chennai, Coimbatore, Trichy, Madurai, and two domestic airports, Tuticorin and Salem.
• Tamil Nadu is a state with a lot of renewable energy capacity.
• Tamil Nadu is the biggest beneficiary of Korean Foreign Direct Investment in India.
• Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, is well linked with the world through three submarine cables.

Strong Defence Industrial Corridors in India will strengthen the country's defence system and promote the indigenous production of defence and aerospace-related products. This will subsequently reduce the country's need to import defence apparatuses from other countries.

FAQs on Defence Industrial Corridors

Q.1. What is a Defence Industrial Corridor?

A Defence Industrial Corridor is a route lined up with domestic production units of defence equipment to enhance the operational capabilities of the country's defence force. The production units are from both the public and private sectors.

Q.2. What is the significance of the Defence Industrial Corridor?

The Defence Industrial Corridor will allow India to become self-reliant in the field of defence equipment production. Our country will not have to rely on other countries for procuring advanced defence equipment.

Q.3. When was the Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor inaugurated?

The Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor was inaugurated in 2019.

Q.4. Who is executing the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor?

Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) is the nodal agency responsible for executing the Defence Industrial Corridor project in Uttar Pradesh.