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Odisha: Anadrone Systems bag defence contract to manufacture Advanced Aerial Targets

It has an R&D and manufacturing unit located strategically at the TATA Steel SEZ, Gopalpur.

Odisha: Anadrone Systems bag defence contract to manufacture Advanced Aerial Targets

Photo: SNS

The Odisha-based Anadrone System has bagged the contract to supply advanced defence equipment to the Indian Army and Air Force, in an initiative to promote make in India scheme of the ministry of defence,

The contract to supply 125 Manoeuvrable Expendable Aerial Targets (MEAT) and associated equipment worth INR 96 crores, under the Make in India II category, which is meant for research and development projects, funded by the industry with an indigenous content of over 50% was signed last week, an official statement issued by the State government said.

Notably, companies like Larsen and Toubro also pitched for this deal. The Shikra MEAT system being manufactured by the company is a localised version of the Banshee Jet 40 system that has earlier been imported by the armed forces.

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The company has collaborated with a UK based defence tech company to build systems for air defence training from simple, low-performance model aeroplane targets through manoeuvrable targets to sophisticated high subsonic and supersonic systems. It has an R&D and manufacturing unit located strategically at the TATA Steel SEZ, Gopalpur.

“Such initiatives will attract more MSMEs to participate in the nation’s defence projects which will ultimately reduce the import burden and promote the indigenous defence manufacturing sector of India”, Brig (Retd) LC Patnaik said on the occasion.

Lauding the State for encouraging the entrepreneurs and Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Anant Bhalotia, Managing Director of the company appreciated the robust Single window portal – GO SWIFT and stressed the future expansions of the company in Odisha.

The Anadrone systems provided key inputs in drafting the Odisha Aerospace and Defence Manufacturing Policy 2018 and were also a part of Odisha’s delegation to the United Kingdom in 2016.

Such endeavours will further boost the Make in Odisha programme of the State, which is keen on promoting Defence, Aerospace and other new-age industries.

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