In the backdrop of depleting outsourcing orders from BHEL, engineering industries in Tiruchi that are mired in financial crisis are looking at the possibility for fabricating components for Defence for sustaining their operations.
Representing the ancillaries, functionaries of BHEL Small Industries Association (BHELSIA) will be making a presentation of their competencies during the two-day exhibition by armed forces, public sector undertakings under the Defence Ministry, and 52 DRDO laboratories, to be conducted by the Ministry in Chennai on January 18 and 19, to explore ways to make Tamil Nadu a Defence manufacturing hub.
BHELSIA, its president Ashok Sundaresan said, has been invited to take part in the exhibition, and that he had held a discussion with the Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday, to highlight the potential for Tiruchi to emerge as hub for manufacture of defence product components.
Due to reduced orders from the BHEL over the recent years, the capacity utilisation at most of the nearly 400 ancillary had shrunk drastically displacing several thousands of workers out of jobs. As part of its attempt to attune capacities to derive advantages inherent in the 'Make in India' initiative of the Central Government, the BHELSIA functionaries will also be interacting with a Defence consultant at a meeting to be organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, Tiruchi Zone, towards this month-end.
According to S. Sundarrajan, former Program Director of BRAHMOS, DRDO, and former Director of National Institute of Technology - Tiruchi, engineering units in Tiruchi could tap a huge potential, through adaptation of quality norms, and tweaking capabilities to fabricate components with metals such as aluminium and titanium, to cater to the Defence industry.
A gap analysis and subsequent training programs can change the profile of the engineering units, in the event of enthusiastic reciprocation, Prof. Sundarrajan said.
