Industrialists must gear up to make defense products:Union Min

Union minister H P Chaudhary today urged industrialists to gear up to develop products for defense and infrastructure sectors.
Though the Centre has allowed foreign direct investment in Railways, Housing and Defence sectors, it does not mean that India can be laid back, Chaudhary said.
Entrepreneurs should gear up to make products including AK 47 rifles and bulletproof jackets, for the success of 'Make in India' initiative, he added.
Instead of sourcing such products, industrialists can enter into an agreement with foreign investors and manufacture them in India, Chaudhary said while speaking at the 5-day International Machine Tools and Industrial Trade Fair-Intec 2017, here.

"We have proved our strength in digital technology and space technology.. We need to now equip in the defence and infrastructure space as well," the Union minister of State for MSME said.
Stating that MSME Ministry has plans to set up 16 SME Skill Development centres with the support of World Bank to impart training to five lakh persons, Chaudhary alleged that the previous governments had set up only 18 MSME centres and trained about 2.5 lakh people.
"Upskilling is the need of the hour and the MSMEs should strive to make zero defect products to sustain in the globally competitive environment," he said.

The main objective of the government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the uplift of the economically weaker sections of the society, Chaudhary said.