India banks on DPSU and private defence industry for economic revival

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, April 28

The Ministry of Defence has asked Defence Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and Ordnance Factories and to be ready with operational plans.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at a review meeting on Tuesday directed them to prepare contingency plans for resumption of operations after the lifting of lockdown to compensate for the lost working time to the extent possible and ramp up production.

Rajnath Singh said, “DPSUs along with private defence industry could play a major role in the economic revival.”

Several units of OFB and DPSUs which are located in non-red zones have already started operations. Almost all DPSUs have made contingency plans to ramp up production after the lockdown is lifted by drawing up plans to work in three shifts and extending the work days from five to six days a week.

Work will be carried out by observing social distancing and other relevant health guidelines.

There are eight PSU’s under the Ministry of Defence and 41 Ordnance factories which make items from high electronics to metro coaches and from planes to trucks and cables.

The PSU and Ordnance factories have been busy making Covid related stuff like ventilators, special tents, beside creating emergency facilities for isolation and even sanitizers.

These PSU units and the Ordnance factories are self contained. Some of them even have housing colonies located within complex.

Meanwhile, Singh appreciated the monetary contribution of about Rs 77 crore made by the Department of Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of Defence (MoD), OFB and DPSUs to the PM CARES Fund, generated from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds and one day salary contribution.

Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has made arrangements to manufacture 12,000 ventilators in the month of May 2020 and another 18,000 in June 2020. Around 3,000 engineers will also participate in training of the health professionals in operationalising these ventilators.