Centre must end neglect of BrahMos unit in Thiruvananthapuram: CPI
Thiruvananthapuram
:
CPI
strongly criticised Union govt for its continued neglect of
BrahMos Aerospace
facility in the district, calling for immediate steps to resume and expedite its development.
CPI state secretary and BrahMos employees union (AITUC) president Binoy Viswam said that despite high hopes when the state handed over 15.75 acres near Thiruvananthapuram airport to the
defence ministry
in Dec 2007 for the
BrahMos missile manufacturing
facility, no substantial progress has been made since.
The land, which belonged to public-sector company Keltech, was transferred for just Re 1 with the sole intention of promoting national defence manufacturing in Kerala, he said. "BrahMos Thiruvananthapuram Ltd started functioning as a subsidiary of BrahMos Aerospace in Jan 2008, but the unit saw no development on the land allocated to it," said Viswam.
He criticised central govt's decision to set up full-fledged BrahMos units in Hyderabad, Nagpur and more recently in Lucknow, while Thiruvananthapuram, despite receiving land without any investment, was only made a subsidiary, effectively sidelining its growth.
Even for the Thiruvananthapuram unit to receive orders, it must compete with private firms in tenders and provide the lowest quote along with bank guarantees, an unfair hurdle for a public sector subsidiary, Viswam added.
BrahMos managing director, during the facility's inauguration in the presence of chief minister and defence minister, had announced a fully operational missile production facility within three years and an investment of over Rs 1,000 crore, he recalled. Viswam urged both central and state govts to act swiftly to revive and develop the BrahMos facility in the state capital.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
6 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Reliance Defence partners Diehl for precision-guided munitions in India
Reliance Defence and Diehl Defence tie up for local production of 155 mm guided munitions in Ratnagiri, with Rs 5,000 crore investment planned over five years Mumbai Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence (R-Defence) has tied up with Germany-based Diehl Defence to produce next-generation terminally guided munitions (TGM) for the Indian armed forces. The partnership with Diehl will drive local production of the Vulcano 155 mm precision-guided munition system, R-Defence stated. As part of the agreement, R-Defence will establish a large, high-tech, greenfield, integrated ammunition and explosive manufacturing facility in Watad Industrial Area in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra. 'This strategic alliance not only accelerates the advancement of India's defence manufacturing capabilities, but also positions Reliance Defence as a pivotal player in the global defence supply chain,' Ambani, founder and chairman of the Reliance Group, said. In May, the company had tied up with another Germany-based defence firm, Rheinmetall AG, to supply the explosives and propellants for medium- and large-calibre ammunition. The facilities for the above-mentioned partnerships in Ratnagiri will be established with an investment of ₹5,000 crore over the next five years, a company source stated. R-Defence is aiming to start manufacturing in the next 18 months, as it has the land and principal approvals for the plant in place. The company aims to fund 30 per cent of the investment via equity and the other 70 per cent via debt. The equity is likely to come from the company's internal cash accruals, the source said. R-Defence aims to be amongst the country's top three private defence exporters in the next 12 to 24 months. It is likely to sign long-term agreements with firms like Diehl and Rheinmetall for 5 to 10 years in the coming months. The partnerships are a part of the company's ammunition-focused strategy, where the products made in India will have 60 per cent indigenous content. It is eyeing the market opportunity to potentially generate ₹10,000 crore in revenue through the development and supply of advanced ammunition systems. This tie-up with Diehl is also Reliance Group's fourth global partnership, expanding upon its established collaborations with Dassault Aviation, Thales Group of France, and Rheinmetall. Additionally, Diehl Defence's product portfolio includes air defence systems, missiles for all branches of the armed forces, and ammunition for the army, air force, and navy, as well as protection systems, generating annual sales of over 2 billion euros.
Economic Times
6 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Reliance and Diehl sign ₹10,000 crore defence pact to manufacture Vulcano precision ammunition in India
In a move that could reshape India's defence production landscape, Reliance Defence, a subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure, has entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with Germany's Diehl Defence. The partnership will focus on the local production of the Vulcano 155mm precision-guided munition system—an advanced artillery shell designed for long-range, high-accuracy announcement, made on 10 June, signals a major step forward in India's efforts to reduce dependence on imported defence equipment and build a robust domestic manufacturing base. The Vulcano 155mm system is no ordinary shell. It uses cutting-edge laser and GPS-guided targeting to deliver pinpoint accuracy. This makes it a valuable asset for the Indian Armed Forces, especially in modern combat scenarios where precision is critical. Reliance Defence will lead the manufacturing effort as the prime contractor, while Diehl Defence will provide the core technology and system-level expertise. The production will take place at a new greenfield facility in the Watad Industrial Area, Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, which will be part of the Dhirubhai Ambani Defence City (DADC). Reliance Defence estimates that this partnership could generate up to ₹10,000 crore in revenue. This projection reflects the growing demand for advanced ammunition systems and the company's ability to localise critical defence technologies. The manufacturing initiative will include over 50% indigenous value addition, directly supporting India's defence indigenisation goals. It also aligns with the government's target of achieving ₹50,000 crore in defence exports by Defence, headquartered in Überlingen, Germany, is a global leader in defence systems. Its portfolio includes guided missiles, air defence systems, and advanced ammunition. The company employs around 4,500 people and generates annual sales exceeding €2 Rauch, CEO of Diehl Defence, said, 'Diehl Defence looks forward to strengthen the current relationship with Reliance Group in the context of TGM for the Indian Armed Forces.'This collaboration marks Reliance Group's fourth major international defence partnership, following earlier ventures with Dassault Aviation, Thales Group, and the announcement, shares of Reliance Infrastructure rose by 3.5%, closing at ₹404.40 on the Bombay Stock Exchange. The market's response reflects investor confidence in the long-term value of this strategic move. While the Indo-German partnership is being celebrated in New Delhi, reports have surfaced that Diehl Defence is also quietly promoting its IRIS-T air defence system to Pakistan1. The IRIS-T, known for its performance in Ukraine, is capable of intercepting supersonic missiles like Russia's P-800 Oniks—technologically similar to India's BrahMos. Analysts believe Pakistan's interest in the IRIS-T stems from its desire to counter India's BrahMos missile capabilities. This development has raised concerns in strategic circles about Germany's dual-track defence diplomacy in South Asia.
Hans India
9 minutes ago
- Hans India
SWIGGY ROLLS OUT CORPORATE REWARDS PROGRAM IN 7000 COMPANIES ACROSS INDIA: UNLOCKS EXCITING BENEFITS FOR CORPORATE EMPLOYEES
Swiggy Limited (NSE: SWIGGY / BSE: 544285), India's leading on-demand convenience platform, has launched its Corporate Rewards Program, a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to bring added value, convenience, and delight to working professionals across the country. The company shared that it has rolled out the Corporate Rewards Program across 7000 companies in India. Swiggy has received a great response for this program and is in the process of expanding it to 15,000+ organizations across India by the end of 2025. Through this program, employees of the partner companies can access a range of exclusive offers by verifying their official work email address on the Swiggy app. The Corporate Rewards Program is currently live in companies across top 10 corporate hubs in the country including Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Noida, Pune and Kolkata. Swiggy will be adding more benefits and perks to the Corporate Rewards Program in the coming weeks. In line with Swiggy's broader strategy to cater to specific consumer segments, the Corporate Rewards Program focuses on enhancing the food ordering and dining experience for India's corporate workforce. The offers include Swiggy One membership at discounted price, flat discount of Rs. 125 to Rs. 200 on food delivery orders, flat 20% off on large/ party orders on the food delivery app, as well as flat discount of upto Rs. 2000 on Swiggy Dineout. Once a user verifies his/her corporate email ID in the dedicated 'Corporate Rewards' section within the Swiggy app, they are granted access to a suite of curated benefits that are tailored to the needs of the corporate employees and enables them to have a great time while at work or off it. So, whether it is busy workdays, team lunches, office parties, or late-night work sessions as well as for a great evening out with loved ones, the perfect weekend plan or the feast that one may want to order in on a special day, Swiggy's Corporate Rewards Program offers a host of benefits for all its users. With its intuitive access, expansive corporate network, and compelling offers, the Corporate Rewards Program positions Swiggy as not just a food delivery platform, but a reliable companion for India's urban professionals. Swiggy's Corporate Rewards Program is currently running across a range of industries including Consulting, E-commerce, Banking/ Finance, IT/ Software/ Technology, Manufacturing/ Heavy Industries, VCs, FMCG Companies, Automobile/ Auto Ancillary, Pharmaceutical and Healthcare, Telecom, Energy/ Oil & Gas and Utilities, Retail, Education, Media and Entertainment, Aerospace/ Defense, Hospitality/ Travel and Tourism, Agritech/ Agriculture, Mining and Natural Resources. Commenting on the launch, Deepak Maloo, Vice President-Food Strategy, Customer Experience and New Initiatives, said, 'The Corporate Rewards Program reflects Swiggy's commitment to offering an enhanced, hyper-relevant, lifestyle-integrated experience for working professionals across age groups. Whether it's a working professional looking for reliable lunch options during a busy day, a team celebrating a successful project, a late-night worker seeking comfort food after hours, planning a weekend get together with friends, or hosting a group of friends on a match day, Swiggy's Corporate Rewards Program makes the experience more rewarding and cost-effective. With exclusive offers designed for those with busy schedules, we're helping people save time, save money, and still eat well — no matter where work takes them.' The sign-up process for this program is seamless and designed with user convenience in mind—requiring just a few steps to verify a work email and instantly access all associated perks. The launch of this program builds on the success of Swiggy's recently announced Students Rewards Program and marks another step in Swiggy's effort to build a targeted, meaningful ecosystem of benefits around specific user communities. While the Student Rewards offering was created to meet the needs of collegegoers living away from home, the Corporate Rewards Program addresses the rhythm of the modern workplace—fast-paced, digitally connected, and always on the move.
