Punjab to be developed as defence manufacturing hub: Aman Arora

Chandigarh, Jan 10 (PTI) The Punjab government on Saturday organised a Defence Skills Conclave to align the state's capabilities with national defence requirements and to develop the state as a major hub for defence manufacturing.

Addressing the conclave, Employment Generation, Skill Development and Training Minister Aman Arora said Punjab has played a historic role in India's defence and continues to contribute significantly to the armed forces.

He said the state contributes over 12 per cent of the country's soldiers despite having only about 2 per cent of India's population.

Arora said that in the era of modern warfare, courage must be supported by advanced skills and technology.

The Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led government, he said, aims to make Punjab a centre not only for producing soldiers but also skilled engineers and technologists to strengthen India's self-reliance in defence manufacturing.

The conclave brought together Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Punjab Chief Secretary KAP Sinha, senior state officials, representatives of defence public sector units, original equipment manufacturers, academic institutions and skill development experts.

The objective was to create an industry-driven skilling ecosystem for defence, aerospace and strategic sectors.

Highlighting Punjab's strengths, Arora said the state has international airports at Mohali and Amritsar, a major air force base at Adampur and a business-friendly environment, which makes it suitable for defence industry investments.

He said the government is working closely with industry and educational institutions to identify skill gaps and launch targeted training programmes.

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh lauded the Punjab government for organising the conclave and said it would help in building a strong skill ecosystem and a diversified industrial base.

He noted that Punjab has significant potential in defence manufacturing due to its strong military tradition.

Chief Secretary KAP Sinha and Principal Secretary Alaknanda Dayal assured full support from the state government to facilitate investments in the defence, aerospace and strategic sectors, saying these areas are vital for national security and employment generation.

During the conclave, the Punjab government signed memoranda of understanding with the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM), NASSCOM, Microsoft, IBM and 1M1B to enhance skill development and employability of the state's youth in defence and aerospace sectors.

The event saw participation from academic institutions including IIT Delhi, IIT Ropar, IIT Indore, Punjab Engineering College and Chandigarh University, as well as defence companies such as Bharat Forge, Mahindra Defence Systems, L&T Defence and Tata Advanced Systems.

Delegates from several states, including Haryana, Gujarat, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, also attended the conclave. PTI VSD NB NB