Jhansi: The state govt and Observer Research Foundation jointly organised a day-long workshop on Friday to discuss the strategic growth of the Jhansi node of the defence corridor. Representatives from the Indian Army, local administration, technical consultants from across the country and local entrepreneurs took part. The workshop focused on the future growth of the Jhansi node, discussing its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in line with the Indian Army’s future needs amid high-end technology driven by artificial intelligence.As per the organisers, the major theme for discussion was unlocking Jhansi’s potential as a strategic manufacturing and investment hub in the UPDIC. Discussions were also held on policy and industrial reforms to kickstart defence manufacturing in the state. Experts and army officials highlighted the products that can be viable to produce while understanding the strict quality control. In addition, discussions were also held on ease of doing business, ways and means to access the defence supply chain along with institutional accessibility.The central theme of the discussion was the need to address implementation gaps in the Jhansi Defence Node, where construction activity has progressed more slowly than in other UPDIC nodes. Participants highlighted the need to identify the reasons for these delays, accelerate land acquisition and improve coordination between govt departments. Integrating BIDA with the Defence Node through the proposed Link Expressway could strengthen industrial connectivity. The discussions examined sectors best suited to Jhansi’s existing industrial capabilities. Missile propulsion systems, ammunition and precision manufacturing emerged as promising priorities, alongside alloy production, laser cutting, fabrication and specialised component manufacturing. Building on the region’s engineering and railway ecosystem, Jhansi could develop capabilities that complement national defence and aerospace supply chains. The Babina firing ranges offer potential advantages for testing and developing suitable defence technologies. Drone manufacturing, with applications across defence, policing and logistics, and advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing were also identified as areas of opportunity.A major point of discussion was the development of the local ecosystem, which includes various MSMEs, startups and training institutions. Development of a local supply chain for defence manufacturers, along with building up a skilled workforce across Bundelkhand region while creating adequate employment generation, will help in stopping mass migration.The workshop was attended by Jhansi-Lalitpur MP Anurag Sharma along with DM Gaurang Rathi. During the discussions, GM Tech, 510 ABW, Indian Army, Col Kapil Pawariya, said that the Jhansi node can viably produce perishable accessories for army equipment such as gaskets, seals, alloys and lightweight special paints for fighter planes. He also stressed out-of-the-box ideas, research and innovations for new designs for battlefield equipment such as E Tanks.It was also discussed that due to a lack of a skilled workforce, the place is not conducive to the aviation industry. Anurag Sharma reiterated the thought of the central and state govt to develop the region with the help of creating more and more job opportunities, and the defence corridor will play a pivotal role in this. He noted that 44 companies had applied to establish operations in the region and highlighted investment proposals worth Rs 12,190 crore.
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