LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC) and the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) invited Spanish defence and aerospace companies to explore investment opportunities in the state during a virtual India–Spain Defence Industry Workshop held on Thursday.The workshop, titled “Make in India in Defence Sector”, was jointly organised by the Embassy of India in Madrid and the Spanish Confederation of Business Organisations (CEOE).It focused on expanding cooperation between the two countries in defence manufacturing, research and development, technology partnerships and industrial investment.The event was attended by India’s Ambassador to Spain Jayant N Khobragade, Uttar Pradesh Infrastructure and Industrial Development commissioner Deepak Kumar, UPDIC chief general manager Col (retd) Sanjay Singh, representatives of the Embassy of India, CEOE, the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM), Spain’s defence industry body TEDAE, Airbus Defence & Space, ITUS Group, Aqila Technologies and other defence companies.Speaking during a session on defence corridors and investment opportunities, Deepak Kumar outlined Uttar Pradesh’s industrial policies and infrastructure and invited Spanish companies to consider investing in the state’s Defence Industrial Corridor.In a presentation, Col Singh outlined recent trends in India’s defence sector, including higher public spending on defence, growth in domestic production and exports, and the government’s emphasis on indigenous manufacturing.He also highlighted Uttar Pradesh’s aerospace and defence policy, investment incentives, research and development support, skill development initiatives and single window clearance system.According to UPDIC, the corridor has signed 191 memoranda of understanding involving proposed investments of Rs 39,654.09 crore, with the potential to generate over 60,200 jobs.It said land has been allotted to 66 industrial units across 1,154.29 hectares, with projects worth Rs 13,806.28 crore currently under implementation and expected to create more than 16,000 jobs.Officials also presented the corridor’s six manufacturing nodes and cited investments by companies such as BrahMos Aerospace, Adani Defence, Bharat Dynamics Limited, Bharat Electronics Limited and Aerolloy Technologies.The session concluded with an invitation to Spanish firms to explore manufacturing partnerships and joint ventures in Uttar Pradesh.
