Mumbai: The State government is planning to set up industrial facilities exclusively for defence equipment production. The government has identified land for two such facilities, one at Jejuri near Pune and another in Ahmednagar district, a source in the state Industries department said.
Some companies interested in the sector have demanded land for testing explosives and other defence-related equipment in hilly terrain and sites away from human habitat, the reason behind the government’s plans, he said. Some leading State-based private companies have shown interest in venturing into defence equipment production.
Last week, the State government had said it would set up a fund of ₹1,000 crore for helping defence equipment manufacturers. It had also said that it expects an investment of $5 billion in this sector. The State government’s draft defence and aerospace policy is expected to be approved soon by the Centre, the source said.
Before formulating its policy, the State government has studied policies adopted by the Centre and States like Telangana.
