India accelerates defence self‑reliance, unveiling 10,000‑ton aluminium press and stressing Northeast strategic role

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced the foundation of a 10,000‑ton aluminium extrusion press at the Ordnance Factory Ambajhari in Nagpur, a unit of Yantra India Limited. He said the plant will produce complex aluminium profiles for fighter jets, missiles, space programmes and other strategic applications, marking a shift from import dependence to indigenous manufacturing.

Singh reported that defence production has risen to a record Rs 1.78 lakh crore in FY 2025‑26 and exports to Rs 38,424 crore, with targets of Rs 3 lakh crore in production and Rs 50,000 crore in exports expected to be met ahead of schedule. He highlighted the corporatisation of the former Ordnance Factory Board into Defence Public Sector Undertakings, which has boosted output and exports.

Speaking to the Eastern Air Command in Shillong, Singh warned that hybrid threats, cyber‑attacks, drones and supply‑chain risks require new technological agility. He described India’s northeastern region as a "vital pillar of security, prosperity and strategic power" and linked its importance to the Act East policy.

FICCI President Anant Goenka, after a delegation’s visit to China, urged Indian firms to engage with Chinese partners for technology transfer and automation, positioning such cooperation as part of the broader self‑reliance drive.