Rajnath Singh Inaugurates Defence Factory in Shirdi

Mumbai, May 14 (PTI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate an ammunition manufacturing unit at Shirdi in Maharashtra on May 23.

Ganesh Nibe, chairman and managing director of Nibe Group, said the unit in Ahilyanagar district will manufacture artillery bombshells and also support the aerospace segment.

There was also a plan to establish a 25,000 tonne ammunition manufacturing factory at Srigonda in the district, he said at a press conference in the presence of state minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil.



The factory at Shirdi is built on 200 acres of land, and is expected to generate direct and indirect employment for 2,000 people and also support Medium Small and Micro Industries, Nibe said.

The unit will also export defence equipment to other countries, he added.




Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan is also expected to attend the event besides Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Nibe said.



Vikhe-Patil, who represents Shirdi in the Maharashtra assembly, said the government wanted to develop the area into a major defence hub.



"This initiate will not only significantly bolster India's military capabilities but also generate large-scale employment opportunities around the region," he said.