Short Note: India’s First Private Sector Missile Sub-systems Manufacturing Facility

India’s first private sector missile sub-systems manufacturing facility has been set up at Hyderabad {Telangana is at the top position in Ease of Doing Business Rankings in India}. This facility is a Joint Venture between Kalyani Group and Rafael Advanced Defense System Ltd with a share of 51:49 respectively and will be called as Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems (KRAS).

This facility will be making Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) Spike which will be supplied to Indian Army as well as export to other South Asian countries is planned by it. Other than ATGM, the facility will be making advanced equipment such as electro-optics, precision guided munitions, command control & guidance and system engineering for system integration. In future, the facility will be looking to make other products such as Spice gilder bombs that are used by Indian Air Force.

The facility is built on the lines of Make in India initiative and assisted by the policy of encouraging private sector participation in defence production. The facility will source 90% of its raw material or content from locally mostly in and around Hyderabad. It will give a boost to employment also as it will employ more than 300 engineers directly and indirectly to 1000 people. It will attract more Foreign Direct Investment and also substitute imports in defence equipment.

This Joint Venture between India and Israel makes the bilateral relations stronger and will help in countering growing China’s influence in the South Asian region.