Nashik: The union ministry of defence on Thursday announced creation of country’s second defence innovation hub in Nashik.Minister of state for defence Subash Bhamre, at an event held at Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL), informed that Centre has made a provision of Rs100 for establishing the hub.The innovation hub will rope in starts-ups and SMEs for catering to the demands of the defence forces. The centre will provide all the infrastructures and funds to the start-ups and manufacturers to conduct research activities.HAL, BEL and Nashik Industries & Manufactures Association (NIMA) will work jointly to prepare a Detail Project Report (DPR). The Nashik hub would be the second in the country after the first one was set up in Coimbatore.Bhamre said that the hub in Nashik would help small industries and start-ups in manufacturing components for the defence sector.“We are large importer of defence products. We procure weapons from Russia and other foreign countries, but they did not transfer the technology. We had to depend on them even for a single component or spare part required for repair and maintenance of the products,” he said.“Hence, there is need to become self-reliant in defence sector if we have to flourish and it is not possible until we focus on research and innovation for defence products. We have decided to set up second defence innovation hub of the country in Nashik after Coimbatore,” he added.The government will provide platform to start-ups and SMEs and HAL and Bharat Electronics Ltd will also coordinate in this connection.State minister of water resources and medical education Girish Mahajan, defence secretary (production) Ajay Kumar, joint secretary of ministry of defence Sanjay Jaju, HAL chairman R Madhavan, DRDO’s Director General (ACE) P K Mehta and others were present at the inaugural function.

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