Solar GRP becomes first pvt co to clear Pinaka rocket trials

Nagpur: City’s Economic Explosives Limited (EEL) has emerged as the first private Indian company to successfully test fire an artillery rocket. The Pinaka rockets manufactured by EEL were fired at the Pokhran range on Wednesday in a joint evaluation by the Army and Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO).
The company had qualified to get transfer of technology (TOT) for making the Pinaka rocket from DRDO. With the successful evaluation, the company can now qualify to bid if the Army floats a request for proposal (RFP) to make Pinaka rockets. With a range of 37km, the Pinaka is currently made by the ordnance factory, which had got bulk production clearance in 2007.
EEL was the sole private company to qualify for the TOT. EEL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Solar Industries headed by Satyanarayan Nuwal. The company had begun its venture with commercial explosives and continues to remain the leader in this segment. It has also entered into making high technology missiles and space rockets.
The trials for Pinaka were conducted to complete the technology absorption process after the ToT from the DRDO.
Six rockets were fired with different warheads to assess the structural integrity, flight stability and accuracy of the rockets made by EEL. The parameters were successfully met, said sources.
Rockets are part of the artillery system. Placed on a mounted system, a salvo of six rockets can be fired at time. Trials for an advanced range of Pinaka rockets, with a higher range of over 40km, is also under way.
The technology for Pinaka rockets has been developed by Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) and High Energy Material Research Laboratory (HEMRL), both units of DRDO.
EEL has a manufacturing facility for the rockets at Nagpur, which includes facilities to make critical sub-systems and components, like propellant high explosives and igniters. Warhead and rocket motors are also made in the factory, said a note shared with TOI. The Nagpur plant has the capacity to make 3,000 rockets in a year, with scope to further enhance the capacity, the note said.
The Solar Group has plants in six countries apart from other locations in India.