Defence Production Secretary to Engage Stakeholders in Nagpur for Policy Insights Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar will convene a meeting with stakeholders from both private and public defence enterprises in Nagpur during his visit to the city on Friday. The gathering aims to gather perspectives from various levels of industry participants to inform future policy decisions. Kumar will be accompanied by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who will inaugurate a new facility at Yantra India Limited (YIL), a public sector unit (PSU) established from the ordnance factories. The meeting will include representatives from YIL, which produces hardware for ammunition; Dassault Reliance Aviation Limited (DRAL), which manufactures components for Rafael aircraft; Munitions India Limited, another PSU; and mid-sized and small ancillary units. The Vidarbha Defence Industries Association (VDIA) will also participate. The discussions are expected to address several key issues, including the accessibility of data from agencies like the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which has been a point of contention among industrialists. Some stakeholders have raised concerns about the practice of "white labelling," where defence products are marketed as indigenously made despite being imported. The meeting will also focus on streamlining the export licensing process, as delays in granting licenses have been cited as a barrier to growth despite the government’s emphasis on boosting defence exports. The state’s industries department is coordinating the event, with plans to use the insights gathered to draft a new policy framework. The existing state defence and aerospace policy, formulated in 2018, will be revisited.#rajnath_singh #yantra_india_limited #vidarbha_defence_industries_association #dassault_reliance_aircraft #defence_production_secretary
