Production Facility For India’s Light Combat Vehicle Production Underway

India’s Tata Motors has proposed to set up a production facility for light combat vehicles, military jackets, rifles and other items on one of its units in Dharwad, Karnataka.

Tata had applied for the production of defense equipment after the Indian government decided to produce the equipment indigenously under the ‘Make in India’ program, The New Indian Express news daily reported Thursday.

“Since the Central government has decided to produce vehicles related to defence in India, such ‘Indianized’ production units will be the future of the country. As the company had applied for it, it needs to show a proposed location. We along with authorities of Tata Motors Ltd have stressed on setting up the unit in Dharwad only,” Member of Legislative Assembly Aravind Bellad was quoted as saying by the news daily.

He accompanied authorities of Tata Motors Ltd, and held talks with Defence Ministry officials and the Defence Minister Manohar Parikkar. The discussion had given a positive result. With establishment of the production unit, employment for thousands of people could be generated. If the plant is successful, it will be given orders to produce military tanks in later years. The tender for opening up of such military vehicle production unit will be opened on January 16,” he said.

“The project necessitates creation of huge infrastructure if selected and the investment will run to Rs 60,000 crore over a few years,” Aravind said.