The Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in partnership with the Tamil Nadu Industrial Investment Corporation Ltd (TIIC) and the TN Defence Industrial Corporation (TIDCO), organized a series of seminars titled “Accelerating Defence and Aerospace Industry in TN Defence Industrial Corridor.” The seminars took place in Hosur, Salem, and Coimbatore on May 9th, 10th, and 18th, respectively. The objective of these seminars was to explore opportunities for collaboration between the government, defence services, private sector companies, and educational institutions to promote the growth of the defence and aerospace industry in the TN DIC.
The seminar in Hosur focused on integrating the industry, particularly MSMEs, with the supply chains of large Defence Public Sector Companies as part of the roadmap towards indigenization. Keynote speaker Lt. Gen. K S Brar emphasized the need for the industry to participate in defence manufacturing, highlighting the importance of reducing dependency on foreign imports and building indigenous technologies and intellectual property.
At the Salem seminar, the focus was on invigorating the textile industry in the region and its applications in the defence sector. Speakers from the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, DRDO, Gliders Indian Limited, and Troop Comforts highlighted the immediate and futuristic requirements of technical textiles in defence.
The Coimbatore seminar addressed the criticality of the sustenance of missile systems. Officers from the Directorate General of Naval Armaments, L&T, and BDL presented opportunities for MSMEs to be part of their supply chains. Another session focused on harnessing technology innovation to address critical gaps in the defence, with presenters from the Navy, Army, DRDO, and Idex Incubation Centres sharing insights on encouraging innovation in the sector.
The seminars witnessed active participation from over 200 industry participants at each node, providing them with an opportunity to interact with users and anchor industries. The deliberations emphasized the growth potential of India’s defence industry ecosystem, driven by the positive policy framework of the “Make In India Initiative” and the long-term business potential in the sector.