Nagpur: Solar Industries, a corporate group from Nagpur, will be erecting the tallest mast to hoist the tricolour in Jammu and Kashmir. The company, on behest of the Army, has taken up the assignment for setting up a 100 feet long pole to hoist the national flag at Gulmarg in the Union Territory. This is also billed to be tallest flag in the entire Jammu and Kashmir.
Solar Industries has fast emerged as one of the major private players in making ammunition for the defence forces. Recently, it became the first private company to bag a contract to make the latest multimodal grenades for the Army, apart from successfully test firing Pinaka rockets. The group is headed by Satyanarayan Nuwal, who started the business with manufacturing commercial explosives.
The 100 feet flag, which will be put up at the Gulmarg ski resort, is also expected to emerge as a tourist attraction eventually.
The foundation stone for the flag was laid by the Army on Monday at the hands of general officer commanding (GOC) of the Dagger Division Major General Virendra Vats, in the presence of two senior officials of the company. The winter culture festival was also held after a gap of two years at Gulmarg. Movie actors Vidya Balan, Arbaz Khan and Siddharth Roy Kapoor took part in it.
“The Army was looking for a private company to set up the 100 feet pole, to which Solar Industries promptly responded,” said an official here.
“The pole is expected to erected by April. Earlier, it was planned to start the work in January itself. However, it need a strong foundation on a solid base. This could not be done due to heavy snowfall in the area,” said an official of the company. The work would being as soon as the snow melts, he said.