Kanpur: District magistrate Jitendra Pratap Singh on Wednesday said the administration was taking continuous steps to operationalise the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC) and strengthen Kanpur’s position as a major defence manufacturing hub.Addressing the Kanpur Regional Defence Workshop, Singh said Kanpur, popularly known as the “Manchester of the East”, had all the potential to emerge as one of the country’s leading centres for defence manufacturing.The workshop was organised jointly by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and the state govt to discuss preparations for the next phase of the UP Defence Industrial Corridor and explore ways to accelerate defence-related industrial development in the region.Singh said development of the defence corridor could not be limited to setting up factories and large industrial structures. He stressed the need for a comprehensive industrial ecosystem comprising modern infrastructure, skilled manpower, technology, research facilities and other support systems required to sustain defence manufacturing and attract investments.MP Ramesh Awasthi said the corridor was aimed at transforming Uttar Pradesh into a major hub for manufacturing weapons and defence equipment. He said the government had partnered with institutions such as IIT Kanpur and BHU to promote the application of science, research and emerging technologies across the corridor.The workshop brought together representatives of the govt, defence production sector, industries, research institutions, policy-making bodies, IIT Kanpur and the MSME sector to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for giving Kanpur a new industrial identity.Awasthi said with around 56% of Uttar Pradesh’s population comprising working-age youth, the state had a huge manpower advantage. The workshop emphasised the need to train this workforce according to the specific requirements of the defence industry.Major General PK Saini of the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers said better access to shared testing facilities would help Kanpur-based companies overcome existing hurdles and strengthen their position in the defence supply chain.It was also decided to establish a dedicated institutional mechanism for better coordination among stakeholders in Kanpur.
