Coimbatore: Defence innovation hub work set to begin soon

COIMBATORE: With the Union government approving the detailed project report for the Codissia Defence Innovation and Atal Incubation Centre last week, the construction work of the centre will begin in May-June, said representatives of the Coimbatore District Small Industries Association (Codissia).
President of Codissia R Ramamurthy, at a session on defence indigenisation recently, informed about the development. He also said Codissia had transferred Rs 2.34 crore to the escrow account meant for the project last week.
In January 2018, the defence ministry granted Codissia Rs 20 crore for setting up a defence innovation centre. Of this, Rs 15 crore was for the innovation centre and Rs 5 crore was a soft working capital for innovating products. Later, after interactions, Ramamurthy said, the project was clubbed with the Atal Incubation Centre, through the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDex) scheme.
The projected cost of the centre is Rs 45 crore. Codissia and the Atal Incubation Mission will invest Rs 10 crore each in the centre, which will come up at the Codissia Industrial Park near the city. Codissia will also invest another Rs 5 crore for land and building.
“In a week’s time, we expect the Centre to transfer Rs 2.34 crore. Another Rs 5 crore will likely be available with Codissia when the project work begins,” he said.
Ramamurthy said, in a recent meeting with officials from the defence ministry in New Delhi, the officials assured to discuss the project in a board meeting with defence production wing in two weeks. “We expect the ministry to sanction Rs 15 crore granted for the the innovation centre. With a nod from the Centre, we will start ordering machines using the grant,” he said, adding that a building plan for the centre was getting ready for an approval and mostly in May or June the construction work would begin
Besides, Codissia is in contact with defence forces on different works that they could pursue once the centre start functioning, he said.