Article Posted on : - Oct 16, 2017

MUMBAI (PTI): Aiming to become the first domestic missile integration company in the private sector, industrial explosives maker Solar Industries India Ltd (SIIL) is developing a missile assembly facility in Maharashtra which is expected to be completed by January next year.

The Nagpur-based company entered the defence sector over four years ago.

It has set up India's first plant for manufacturing the explosive HMX in the private sector, a large composite propellant plant and facilities for producing various other products like pyros and warheads.

"Since we are already manufacturing the key components for missiles like warheads, propellants, explosives among others, we thought we should go a step ahead and develop a facility to integrate all the components to develop a complete missile," the company's Managing Director and CEO Manish Nuwal told PTI.

He said the work on the missile assemble factory is in the final stages and it is likely to be completed in January 2018.

"Currently we are looking for missile assembling for 'Pinaka' rocket launcher. But any job related to rockets can be done and going forward missile integration as well," Nuwal said, adding the transfer of technology agreement with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is already in place.

"Once the construction is completed, we can then proceed for the assembling, subject to when the defence sector places orders," he added.

SIIL's facility in Nagpur manufactures HMX and HMX based compositions like Octol, Oma and Okfol for high explosive anti-tank ammunition and missiles like Akash, LR-SAM, Invar and Konkur. It also manufactures propellants for BRAHMOS missile.

The company currently has a manufacturing capacity of 50 mtpa of HMX which it plans to enhance to 300 mtpa.

"Earlier we required less quantity of HMX, but now with the defence sector opening up, we will increase the capacity to 300 mtpa.

"Similarly, we will increase the capacity of all the other defence related products and also introduce some new solutions," the company's Chief Financial Officer Nilesh Panpalliya said.

He said the company, which already has an order book of Rs 140 crore in the business, plans to invest up to Rs 175 crore every year for the next 3-4 years to enhance its manufacturing capacities.