Hyderabad Best Place in India for Defence Growth: Midhani CMD

Hyderabad: Telangana has played a vital role in the country’s defence and aerospace sector. Hyderabad is one of the best places in the country for the sector to grow, said Dr S.K. Jha, chairman and managing director, Mishra Dhatu Nigam Ltd (Midhani).

Speaking at the CII’s Defence and Space conclave on ‘Exploring Newer Capabilities for National Security’, the Midhani chairman said that Hyderabad has an excellent ecosystem for industrial growth in the sector.

“Ofcourse, Bengaluru already has a strong base of aerospace because of HAL and others. But of all the defence equipment, the missile base is highest in Hyderabad. That is the base for the defence industry for strong growth in Hyderabad along with the MSME contribution to the sector,” Jha said.

He also emphasised the region’s growth prospects in materials and technology innovation. “We have a good advantage in Hyderabad, which has an excellent talent pool and world-class institutions working here”, he said.

Jha also said that once India was the biggest importer of defence and aerospace equipment but now was exporting to almost 35 countries and major exports are to the US. “Today defence and aerospace production has crossed Rs1.25 lakh crore with a 20 per cent increase from previous year,” the Midhani chairman said.

“The foreign OEMs are really looking for the opportunity to maximise their engineering in the country. Hyderabad is positioned well to grab the opportunities,” Jha said.

The summit focused on strengthening national security through advancements in the defence and space sectors. The event also highlighted the Telangana state government’s initiatives to boost the aerospace and defence sector further.