First Missile Assembly Facility To Open In Central India By January 2018

An Indian industrial explosives maker Solar Industries India Ltd (SIIL) is developing a missile assembly facility in the central Indian state of Maharashtra which is expected to be completed by January next year.

SIIL’s facility in Nagpur currently manufactures HMX and HMX based compositions like Octol, Oma and Okfol for high explosive anti-tank ammunition and missiles like Akash, LR Sam, Invar and Konkur. It also manufactures propellants for BrahMos missile.

“Since we are already manufacturing the key components for missiles like the war heads, propellants, explosives, among others, we thought we should go a step ahead and develop a facility to integrate all the components to develop a complete missile,” the company’s Managing Director and CEO Manish Nuwal told Nagpur Today.

The Nagpur-based company that became the first to set up a plant for manufacturing the explosive HMX in the private sector, is aiming to produce components for home-made Pinaka rocket launcher at new missile facility.

“Currently we are looking for missile assembling for ‘Pinaka’ rocket launcher. But any job related to rockets can be done and going forward missile integration as well,” Nuwal said, adding the transfer of technology agreement with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is already in place.

“Once the construction is completed, we can then proceed for the assembling, subject to when the defence sector places orders,” he added.

SIIL’s Chief Financial Officer Nilesh Panpalliya said that his firm plans on investing up to Rs 175 crore (US$ 26.9m) every year for the next 3-4 years to enhance its manufacturing capacities.