Bengaluru, Aug 29 (IANS) Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje on Saturday said that the establishment of an aerospace and materials testing facility in Bengaluru would reduce the dependence of Indian industries on private agencies and foreign laboratories for testing critical materials.
Speaking in Bengaluru, Karandlaje said industries earlier had to send materials to private agencies and, in some cases, even abroad for testing, which involved considerable expenditure.
Karandlaje said the presence of Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi and B.L. Verma in the region was significant as the area has a strong aerospace and MSME ecosystem, including HAL and aerospace industries in the nearby areas.
She said a technology centre was also being established at Marenahalli in Karnataka at a cost of Rs 200 crore and that it would be inaugurated by the Union Minister next week.
Explaining the importance of the testing facility, Karandlaje said materials supplied to aerospace and defence industries must undergo rigorous testing to ensure that they meet international standards.
“We have to fly high and go into the skies. Therefore, the material must be manufactured properly and tested. Only then will it meet international standards,” she said.
She added that the facility would help industries test materials that could be used by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the defence sector, fighter aircraft and commercial aviation.
Karandlaje said industries previously faced two major challenges — testing through private agencies and sending materials to different locations, including overseas facilities, for international-standard certification.
“Today, for the first time, we have started an aerospace testing and materials testing facility in Bengaluru. It is a matter of great happiness and pride for Karnataka,” she said.
The Union Minister said the facility was part of the Centre’s efforts under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative to reduce India’s dependence on foreign countries and strengthen domestic manufacturing, particularly in the defence sector.
She said India had earlier imported a large quantity of defence-related materials, but several of these materials were now being manufactured domestically. However, she stressed that testing was equally important to ensure quality and international standards.
“A testing centre meeting international standards was the need of the hour, and the Government of India has fulfilled that need here,” she said.
Karandlaje recalled that Union Minister Pralhad Joshi had laid the foundation stone for the project at the same location two years ago.
She also highlighted the importance of completing government projects within a stipulated timeframe, citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis on speed and timely execution.
“The Prime Minister says that every work should be completed very quickly, during our tenure itself. When we lay the foundation stone, the inauguration should take place within a year,” she said.
She described the project as an example of the pace at which government officials, engineers and contractors should execute projects.
Karandlaje said it was a matter of satisfaction for her that she had the opportunity to be associated with both the foundation stone-laying and the inauguration of the project.
“I had the opportunity to lay the foundation stone, and now I have the good fortune of inaugurating it. For me, it is also a test,” she said.
–IANS
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