As dust settles at border, Hyderabad missile companies told to speed up supplies | Hyderabad News
HYDERABAD: The Indian government has told manufacturers of critical systems and subsystems for missiles like BrahMos and Akash to fast-track production even as an uneasy calm settles at the border with Pakistan after Operation Sindoor.Defence manufacturers based in India’s missile capital of Hyderabad say that key public and private sector suppliers have been asked to expedite deliveries to beef up the missile stockpile.Hyderabad houses a number of public and private sector establishments like DRDO, Bharat Dynamics (BDL), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Adani Elbit Advanced Systems, Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems (KRAS), MTAR Technologies, Astra Microwave, Ananth Technologies, Raghu Vamsi, Zen Technologies, SEC Industries, among others.“We have been asked to work even over the weekends to speed up deliveries,” said the promoter of a Hyderabad company that supplies critical sub-systems for Akash and BrahMos.“We had a big emergency procurement order for missiles from the ministry of defence (MoD) but after the conflict started the govt has been in constant touch asking for deliveries on a weekly basis,” said the promoter of another company supplying missile propulsion systems for tactile missiles as well as UAV-launched precision guided missile (ULPGM).MoD officials are also in touch with all the drone and anti-drone tech companies. “They have been working with all the companies to ramp up capabilities. All commanders have been given rights to procure equipment and over the next two to three months we expect large scale orders,” said a drone tech company founder whose anti-drone systems were deployed to protect critical defence and port-related infrastructure during Operation Sindoor.“Now that the vulnerabilities are clear the govt wants to fill up gaps as it’s increasingly becoming clear that the real attacks will not come from the ground but from air. Typically it used to take six months to a year to fulfill orders but now the govt wants them in months,” he added.Incidentally, the Spice 2000 missiles that were used in the Balakot air strike in February 2019, were made in Hyderabad at the Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems (KRAS). According to sources, while Spice missiles were deployed for Operation Sindoor as well, IAF eventually used Scalp and Hammer air to surface missiles.
