The Ministry of Defence (MoD), on Tuesday, inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up three state-of-the-art testing facilities under the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC).

Under the MoU, a facility will be established in Lucknow in Mechanical & Material (M&M) domain, and two in Kanpur – one each in Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) and Communications domains.

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The MoU, under the Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS), was exchanged between senior officials of MoD and Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) in the national capital.

The DTIS was launched by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in May 2020, with an outlay of Rs 400 crore, to set up state-of-the-art testing facilities in collaboration with private industry and Central/State Government, promoting indigenous defence production, reducing imports and enhancing self-reliance.

To provide impetus to the defence and aerospace sectors within the Defence Industrial Corridors, seven testing facilities were approved – four in Tamil Nadu and three in Uttar Pradesh.

While the MoU to establish three testing facilities in UPDIC has been signed today, the agreement to set up three facilities under the Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor in the domains of UAS, Electronic Warfare and Electro Optics in Chennai was inked on July 2, 2024.

The DTIS provides up to 75 per cent government funding as ‘Grant-in-Aid’, with the remaining 25 per cent funded by the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPVs), comprising Indian private entities and State/Central Governments.

For the M&M facility, MIDHANI is the lead SPV member, with some private sector companies being the consortium members. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Bharat Electronics Limited are the lead SPV members in the UAS and Communications testing facilities respectively.

Upon the completion of the project, these facilities will provide advanced testing equipment and services to both government and private entities, with revenue reinvested to enhance testing capabilities and processes, thereby giving a boost to Aatmanirbharta in defence.

Meanwhile, another MoU was signed on Tuesday for developing cutting-edge technologies to deal with medical challenges faced by the Armed Forces.

Innovations for Defence Excellence-Defence Innovation Organisation (iDEX-DIO), the flagship initiative of Ministry of Defence, signed an MoU with Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) for the launch of Medical Innovations and Research Advancement (MIRA).

The MoU was signed by Additional Secretary (Defence Production) & CEO, DIO Anurag Bajpai, and Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services Lt Gen Daljit Singh in the national capital.

The MoU aims to foster innovation and research in developing novel medical technologies and their induction into the Armed Forces. The initiative will be propelled by the launch of the Defence India Start-up Challenge (DISC) edition MIRA, targeting the critical medical challenges faced by the Armed Forces. It will leverage the unique strengths and expertise of both organisations to foster cutting-edge advancements in medical technologies.

The Additional Secretary (Defence Production) & CEO, DIO termed the partnership with AFMS as a testament to the Ministry’s commitment to fostering innovation in every aspect of defence and security. “Together, we will work towards creating a robust healthcare ecosystem that not only meets the current needs of the Armed Forces but also anticipates future challenges,” he said.

The DG, AFMS said the collaboration with DIO marks a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to provide the highest quality of medical care and induct new cutting-edge medical technologies. “By harnessing the innovative capabilities through iDEX, we are poised to make substantial advancements in medical science and technology,” he said.