Defense Minister Rajnath Singh visited the Field Weapons Factory at Kanpur-Telangana today

The plant specializes in the production of barrels and punches for various artillery pieces and tanks, including the T-90 tank and the Dhanush gun.

New Delhi: Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh On Saturday visited the Field Weapons Factory, a unit of Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL), at Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

The plant specializes in the production of barrels and punches for various artillery pieces and tanks, including the T-90 tank and the Dhanush gun.

During the visit, the Defense Secretary toured key facilities, including the plant’s heat treatment facility and new assembly facility, to assess the nation’s critical defense capabilities. He was accompanied by Defense Production Secretary Sanjeev Kumar and Defense Research and Development Secretary and DRDO Chairman Dr. Sameer V. Kamath, according to a Defense Ministry statement.

After visiting the workshop, Rajnath Singh was briefed by the heads of three Defense Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) based in Kanpur – AWEIL, Troop Comforts India Limited, Gliders India Limited (GIL) – and the Director of Research, Defense Materials and Stores. & Development Estate, a DRDO laboratory located at Kanpur, the statement said.

During the presentations, the commanders of the new DPSUs briefed the Secretary of Defense on the product profile, major ongoing projects, research and development activities and modernization activities undertaken to meet the needs of the services.

AWEIL specializes in the production of small, medium and large caliber artillery systems. TCL’s main products include combat uniforms, ballistic protective equipment, extreme cold clothing and tents for high-altitude work. Whereas, GIL has the largest and oldest parachute manufacturing unit in India.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh recently said that the Modi government is prioritizing the defense sector and, along with promoting local manufacturing, is committed to achieving a defense export target of Rs 50,000 crore by 2028-29.

He said the government had corporatized ammunition factories, making them more technologically advanced and increasing accountability, leading to increased production. He said the government has also put its trust in local companies such as Hindustan Aeronautical Limited, Tata and L&T to boost the defense sector.