India to Establish Seven Specialized Defence Manufacturing Clusters

DRDO test fires the Very Short Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) missile. (Image credit: DRDO)

The Ministry of Defence is preparing an initiative to strengthen the country's defence industrial base by establishing seven specialised manufacturing clusters across the country. This framework, which is distinct from the defence industrial corridors located in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, aims to integrate states, union territories, industry and academia into a broader architecture for defence production. This is based on the concept of whole of the nation approach. Each of these clusters will focus on a specific aspect of the defence value chain. This will range from testing and certification to exports, skill development, innovation and creation of infrastructure. The Ministry of Defence has already held multiple rounds of consultations, chaired by Defence Production Secretary Sanjeev Kumar, with stakeholders including state governments, defence PSUs, IITs and various centres of excellence. States and institutions have also been tasked with preparing vision documents and implementation roadmaps. This would mean identifying infrastructure needs, regulatory bottlenecks and sector-specific challenges. The initiative is to be designed in a manner as to generate both direct value addition and broader indirect economic benefits. As per reports, under the proposed structure, Karnataka will lead efforts on policy and governance, Maharashtra on indigenisation and private-sector participation, Uttar Pradesh on testing and quality standards, Assam on northeastern and border initiatives, Telangana on exports, Gujarat on skill development and industry-academia linkages and Tamil Nadu on defence industrial infrastructure. Other states such as Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh will support these clusters. Academic partners for the ambitious project include Indian Institute of Science located in Bengaluru, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Madras, IIT Guwahati, IIT Gandhinagar and IIT Bhubaneswar. These clusters are expected to create integrated ecosystems that deepen research, innovation and manufacturing capabilities, reduce dependence on imports and increase India’s defence exports. The initiative aligns with the broader Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision, signalling a whole-of-nation effort to build a self-reliant and globally competitive defence industry.