Jharkhand's Adityapur will be developed to cater to requirements of defence sector: Minister

Jamshedpur, Jan 16 (PTI) Union minister Sanjay Seth on Friday said the industrial area of Adityapur in Jharkhand will be developed to cater to the requirements of the defence sector.

Seth, the MoS for Defence, said Adityapur, known for auto parts manufacturing, has enough potential to become the industrial hub of the country.

Inaugurating a two-day state-level MSME conclave on defence production, he said India is exporting defence materials to over 90 countries across the globe.

The objective of such conclaves is to make India self-reliant in the defence sector and provide opportunities to the MSMEs to contribute to the sector, he said.

Talking to PTI later, Seth said such a conclave was taking place for the first time in the state.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh have been stressing the need for indigenisation of the defence sector, and the role of MSMEs is very important in it. Around 1,500 MSMEs are operating in Jamshedpur and Adityapur. They even export their products to the US," he said.

"The conclave was a step towards developing Jamshedpur-Adityapur, Ranchi and Bokaro industrial areas as a corridor for defence manufacturing. The initiative would get impetus if the Jharkhand government came forward," he added.

Adityapur Small Association (ASIA) president Inder Agarwal said the area would soon also be known for defence equipment manufacturing, along with auto parts.

The event was organised by Bharat Chamber of Commerce in association with the Department of Defence Production. PTI BS SOM