Tamil Nadu Industrial Investment Corporation (TIIC) Chairman and Managing Director Hans Raj Varma said here on Thursday that Coimbatore has the potential to emerge as the world capital in the fields of metallurgy and new metals, which are important in defense manufacturing.
Speaking at GSquare Presented by “Coimbatore Unlimited: Collaborate, Co-create, and Celebrate” Hindu Panel discussion on “Supply to India’s Defense Sector – Advantage Coimbatore”, he said there are two defense corridors in the country – Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The latter already had several industries supplying to the defense sector. This sector needs a different mindset and approach and MSMEs should sharpen their documentation skills.
TIIC supported startups, provided working capital support, and interest subvention. It had entered into a partnership with SIDM through which TIIC would act as a bridge between the capabilities of the industries and the requirements of the defense sector. It also planned to partner with NSIC to source and supply essential raw materials for the defense sector.
Metallurgy and new materials were important and all stakeholders here must share a common strategic vision for the city to emerge as a leader in this field.
According to R Krishnamurthy, Project Director – Tamil Nadu Defense Corridor, Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation, Tamil Nadu already has 700 suppliers for Defense Public Sector Undertakings and companies that are Tier-One or Tier-Two suppliers. TIDCO is in the process of mapping the capabilities of the industries. TIDCO will take steps to meet any specific specific requirement for each Defense Cluster in the State. “We want to create tie-up between our industries and overseas partner so that units get orders and MSMEs are strengthened and integrated with the supply chain.”
Anything that involved precision engineering, Coimbatore had an opportunity. He said TIDCO is considering three projects near Sulur area.
V. Sundaram, Director, CODISSIA Defense Innovation and Atal Incubation Center and CEO of Thunderbolt Auto, said Sulur Air Force was the center of defense here. TIDCO plans a defense park of about 350 acres nearby. Hence the Coimbatore bypass and the surrounding area became a potential hub for this area.
On the defense innovation and startup front, CODISSIA’s incubation center had success stories. The youth were keen to explore opportunities through new technologies such as artificial intelligence. MSMEs should also utilize the opportunities. He said that recently the Central Government has identified 152 products worth Rs 143 crore, which are mainly put for development by the industries in and around Coimbatore.
KS Sundararaman, vice-president of Southern India Mills Association and managing director of Shiv Texyarn, which moderated the session, said nearly half of the annual defense budget went for procurement. This made India one of the largest arms buyers worldwide. Now the emphasis was not only on indigenization but also on exports. Defense exports from the country were around ₹740 crore in 2014 and increased to ₹10,500 crore in 2018-19. About 90% of this was from the private sector. Hence, the scope for industries in this area was high.
In his keynote address, Ishwar N, CEO, GSquare, said that Coimbatore was very strategically placed in terms of location, affordability and availability of land mass and talent. All these factors make Coimbatore a prime destination for any defense investment. As the sector grows, Coimbatore region will attract people from other places, the education sector will grow, and provide opportunities for more entrepreneurs. With the available infrastructure, there was scope for large defense investments.
Suresh Balakrishna, chief revenue officer of The Hindu Group, said it (panel discussion) was a series that threw light on various aspects of Coimbatore.
News18 Tamil Nadu was the television partner for the event at the Taj Vivanta.