HAL, BDL Ink MoUs with Yantra India for Defence Forging Plant

• HAL, BDL sign MoUs with YIL for 10,000-ton forging press.
• HAL advances ₹435 Cr; BDL pledges 3,000 tonnes workload yearly.
• Boosts aluminium alloy production, cuts imports for defence, aerospace.

In​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ a significant move towards defence indigenization, two of India's leading defence Public Sector Units (PSUs) - Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) - signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Yantra India Limited (YIL) for setting up a 10,000-ton Forging Press facility of international standards. The collaboration between these three companies is aimed at escalating domestic production of high-strength aluminium alloys that have been the major cause of import in the aerospace and the defence industry for India for a long time while reducing import dependency drastically to help the country become self-reliant under the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative.

To facilitate the modernization and setting up of the facility at YIL, HAL is giving ₹435 crore as an interest-free advance to YIL. On the other hand, BDL assures the utilization of 3,000 metric tonnes of the annual workload for the next 10 years, thereby promoting the continuity of operations and the optimal use of the facility. The forging press will allow the manufacture of the large-scale aluminium products for which the India is currently is purchasing from other countries, thus dwindling the waiting time, costs and the foreign exchange outflows besides the creation of jobs and the upskilling of the workforce.

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The signing of the MoUs, done in the presence of a gathering of senior executives, indicates the cooperative approach of Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) in concert to strengthen India’s strategic supply chains. It will be a crucial step in fulfilling the airframe supply demands and the satellite industry requirements besides promoting Make in India products by paving the way for the export of the same to friendly countries.

The move is a step toward the Government of India’s goal to revitalize the defence sector that has witnessed the production value exceeding the mark of ₹150,000 crores per annum. The localization of the production of technologically difficult components is a great leap towards the realization of the vision of a sustainable and innovation-driven ecosystem by addressing global challenges and promoting technology ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌independence.