Minister Sanjay Seth Visits Kolkata to Boost Defence Production
Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth, visited Kolkata to address senior officials of Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL) and Gun and Shell Factory (GSF). This was his first visit to the city.
Focus on Improvement
During his visit, Sanjay Seth emphasized the need for AWEIL to improve its performance, efficiency, and skills to compete with both government and private industries. He assured that the government would continue to support these initiatives.
Maximizing Resources
Sanjay Seth urged AWEIL’s skilled workforce to maximize the use of all human resources and collaborate with associated establishments to achieve success in line with the nation’s aspirations.
Boosting Defence Capabilities
This visit underscores the Ministry of Defence’s commitment to bolstering India’s defence capabilities and promoting self-reliance in defence production. The government is also focused on increasing the export of defence products to strengthen the country’s economic situation and global market presence.
Current Orders and Sales
Current orders are worth Rs 9380 crores, with expected total orders to exceed Rs 10,000 crores by September 2024. Sales reached Rs 2018 crores in FY 2023-24, a 6.2% increase from the previous fiscal year.
Export Orders
Total export orders are worth Rs 615 crores since corporatization, including orders for medium-caliber weapons, small arms, artillery gun parts, and ammunition hardware from various countries.
Gun and Shell Factory
GSF is India’s first and oldest ordnance factory, manufacturing medium-caliber guns like the 84mm RL MK-III and AK-630M naval gun. The recent indigenous development of the AO-18 ordnance is related to the AK-630M gun, previously imported from other nations.
