The Centre is advancing an ambitious plan to create a nationwide framework for defence manufacturing by establishing seven regional clusters that will bring together states, Union Territories, premier academic institutions and industry stakeholders.
According to a report by BusinessLine, the Ministry of Defence has already begun consultations with state governments, defence public sector undertakings, IITs and centres of excellence to finalise the structure of the proposed network.
The clusters are separate from the existing defence industrial corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and are intended to serve as specialised hubs focused on different aspects of the defence ecosystem.
“The Ministry of Defence’s whole-of-nation proposal is at an advanced stage of consideration. Defence Production Secretary Sanjeev Kumar has already held two meetings of stakeholders, including States, UTs, defence PSUs, IITs and centres of excellence, on June 2 and June 10. All seven clusters were formalised and assigned themes for preparing individual roadmaps or vision documents,” an official source was quoted as saying in the report.
Each cluster has been assigned a lead state, supporting states or UTs and a group of academic institutions that will provide research, innovation and technical support.
The themes range from governance and policy frameworks to defence exports, testing and certification, skill development, infrastructure creation and private sector participation.
States and institutions involved have been asked to submit detailed reports outlining sector-specific challenges, infrastructure requirements, regulatory reforms and measures to improve the ease of doing business.
Officials believe the initiative could have a significant multiplier effect on the economy by encouraging investment, fostering innovation and strengthening domestic supply chains.
