Reliance Defence gets 16 new industrial licences

Reliance Defence, a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure, has received 16 industrial licences to manufacture of a wide array of high technology military equipment.

Among these are small arms, heavy weapons, armoured vehicles, ammunition, explosives, electronic warfare systems, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, directed energy weapon systems, laser systems for target destruction and C4I Systems for all defence platforms. Of the 16 licences, 11 pertain to land systems, three for naval systems and two on niche technologies across the defence spectrum.

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With these, Reliance Defence now has 27 licences, across the spectrum of defence equipment. Reliance Land Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Defence, will be the lead venture for the manufacturing of missiles, explosives, heavy weapons, tanks and infantry carrier vehicles.

Reliance SED will be the lead entity for manufacture of electronic warfare systems, directed energy weapon systems and laser systems for target destruction. The company spokesman said the key programmes in these segments have a government budget allocation in excess of Rs 50,000 crore. The Indian Army will spend an additional Rs 50,000 crore over the next 10 to 15 years on different combat vehicles.

Reliance Defence also intends to address a large potential international market for combat Vehicles in West Asia, Africa and South America.

‘’Reliance Defence is aiming at developing an Infantry Combat Vehicle to not only address the domestic requirement but the global requirements, estimated at Rs 350,000 crore ($50 billion),’’ he added. Reliance Unmanned Systems, another subsidiary of Reliance Defence, intends to target various requirements of the armed forces in this regard.