Armoured vehicles to be built in Rohtak

Geetanjali Gayatri

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 11

Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI), an enterprise of the Ministry of Defence, will shortly set up its unit in Industrial Model Township (IMT), Rohtak, making it the first “big project” to come to the district under the BJP government in Haryana.

Spread over 10 acres, the government undertaking has been awarded land at concessional rates. Sources say that land has been allocated at 50 per cent of the rate to MIDHANI which wants to establish an Armour Fabrication Unit though the company had sought 15 acres of land from the government in HSIIDC, Manesar.

However, after a visit to IMT, Rohtak, the company has decided to set up its unit to manufacture 13 types of armoured vehicles with a start-up business plan of Rs 50 crore which will be gradually increased to Rs 250 crore.

The move to open a unit in the National Capital Region (NCR) comes in the wake of increased supplies to the northern region since Hyderabad, the current location, did not seem ideal to the company with most business opportunities being concentrated in the northern region.

Sources in the Industries Department say that the coming of the unit to Rohtak will not only create employment opportunities, but evolves an ecosystem to enhance economic activities in the region.

The company has already been sent a letter of confirmation by the HSIIDC and work on ground is expected to begin once the formalities of land allotment are over.

With this “deal” already under its belt, MIDHANi is learnt to have approached the Haryana Government through the Ministry of Defence for land in Hisar as well.

Unlike the Rohtak unit, which will concentrate on the armouring business and the creation of a state-of-the-art armour production plan, the Hisar unit will manufacture special containers used by nuclear power plant for disposal of waste.

Sources claim that talks are already underway for providing land at concessional rates for this unit as well.