Assam is in "advanced consideration" for a defence corridor and the state government is pushing for it, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed on Friday.
Addressing media persons during a press conference, he asserted that Assam is likely to get India's third defence corridor after Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu with the Union Defence Minister being "very positive" about it.
Sarma said, "Defence Minister is very positive that Assam should have a defence corridor. It is being now accepted, for Tamil Nadu and UP, they have notified. Assam's case is in advanced consideration. "
The Chief Minister was confident that Assam would turn into a hub for manufacturing aircraft, helicopters, missiles and other weapons systems.
He said, "We have pushed it to a large extent and with a defence corridor in Assam along with the semiconductor facility, our ecosystem will become very good."
Addressing a question, the Assam CM further said, "We want the defence industry to come here and produce all the defence items because that is employment generative. So helicopter repairs and aircraft repairs should happen here. AK-47s and Machine Guns should be manufactured here."
"So, all the defence items should be produced in Assam. It is like any other industry, but because it is the defence industry, it is a bit sensitive," concluded Sarma.
Notably, a defence corridor is established as a strategic route designed to align domestic production of defence equipment from both public and private sectors, including Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). This initiative aims to significantly enhance the operational capabilities of the nation's defence forces.
The corridors play a pivotal role in fostering self-reliance in defence production, aligning with the 'Make in India' initiative. By reducing reliance on imports and boosting the export of defence items, this development is expected to strengthen the nation's position in the global defence market and promote domestic manufacturing capabilities.
