Trade bodies keen on role in defence

Various trade bodies today sought a defence procurement centre to play a key role in the proposed defence manufacturing corridor here.

In a press release here, the trade bodies including the Confederation of Indian Industry(CII)-Tiruchirappalli, Tiny and Small-Scale Industries Association, Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd and Small and Medium Industries Association urged the Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to allot land for a centre of excellence too to share technologies related to defence equipment.

The centre could encourage the industries to use expertise in engineering in fabrication work, etc.

CII-Tiruchirappalli chairman A S Ananthakrishnan said he had studied the strength of MSMEs in the district to contribute to indigenisation in the defence sector.

Meanwhile, District Collector K Rajamani met with the Sitharaman and requested her to allot land owned by the Defence Ministry for the completion of the road-over-bridge near the Tiruchirappalli railway junction.