MIHAN is all set to achieve its full potential as Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence Limited on Monday signed agreement with Coastal Mechanics Inc., a leading US Department of Defence authorised contractor for a joint venture (JV), to serve the Indian market and also, the export markets. The JV is aimed at handling maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) and upgradation services for various air and land defence platforms used by the armed forces. In other words, Reliance Infrastructure Limited, the parent company, may venture into MRO business, exclusively tapping the Defence segment, and Nagpur is already a thriving base for the activity.

 

The latest agreement is a foray into the lucrative Rs 20,000-crore defence MRO segment. This partnership will provide a facility to upgrade the existing fleets of different aircraft. Reliance Defence and Coastal Mechanics will concentrate on providing end-to-end MRO, upgradation and lifecycle support solutions for the Indian Armed Forces, targeting a wide range of critical platforms to more than 100 Jaguar fighter aircraft, more than 100 MIG-29 fighter aircraft, the fleet of Apache attack helicopters, L-70 air defence guns, and other legacy systems that require long-term sustenance and modernisation, informs the release of Reliance Defence.

 

The latest move on part of Reliance Defence comes after it announced partnership with French giant Dassault Aviation to produce the Falcon 2000LXS business jets in MIHAN. Meanwhile, the company release further mentioned that the segment represents a high-value, long-duration opportunity driven by the Indian military’s strategic shift from asset replacement to lifecycle extension and performance-based logistics. Coastal Mechanics supplies critical components to the US Air Force and US Army. Its partnership with Reliance Defence will provide world-class manufacturing capabilities and global certification into India’s aerospace ecosystem.

 

Reliance Defence aims to become one of India’s top three defence exporters. The partnership represents a significant step in advancing the Government of India’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’ initiatives, aimed at indigenising defence production and reducing reliance on imports. Since long, MIHAN was lagging behind in terms of tapping its vast land bank even as major companies were in a wait and watch mode. The two major announcements are significant as they feature manufacturing element, with potential to offer establishment of ancillary units in the foreseeable future. More than that, when the two new units reach their full potential, they would bolster Nagpur’s position as one of the leaders in defence segment.