Batala seeks revival through ‘defence industrial corridor’

Businessmen of Batala have urged the Union Government to declare the city as a ‘defence industrial corridor’ on the lines it has set up in Uttar Pradesh. Paramjit Singh Gill, president of the Industrial Estate factories Association, said such a dedicated corridor will reduce foreign dependency of the Indian defence sector.

The city, also called the ‘Industrial Hub of India’, once boasted of several defence manufacturing units before these industries shifted to the neighbouring states of Jammu and Kashmir, and HP because they offered massive tax rebates and free power.

Gill said the recent hostilities between India and Pakistan had acted as a catalyst in establishing such a venture. “The Indian Defence industry is going through a rapid change where the nation is not just focusing on expansion of the Defence market but is also looking at arenas to strengthen indigenous manufacturing under the ‘Make in India’ scheme, a vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Furthermore, with the Indian armed forces, being the second largest in the world, the country spends a substantial amount on Defence and Aerospace equipment,” he said.

He added that the Punjab Government should take up a proactive approach and coordinate with Central government departments to bring defence and precision manufacturing projects to the city. “This region has the technical know-how and the entrepreneurial spirit required to manufacture components for Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), defence Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and private sector arms producers.

Ravinder Kumar Handa, president of the Batala unit of the Laghu Udyog Bharti, said if such a corridor comes into existence, uninterrupted power supply can be given to the city’s industrial units, rail connectivity can be improved and capital subsidy and soft loans can be given by the government. “A one-time revival grant can also be provided to sick units to revive them. Moreover, all approvals should be out on the fast-track mode through a single window portal. The government should also provide land at concessional rates near the city where defence related projects can be set up.”

Paramjit Gill, owner of a Batala-based defence industrial unit, said if the Union Government gives concessions for defence units then the road to ‘Atamnirbar Bharat’ and Viksit Bharat’ will become a cakewalk.