LUCKNOW: UP government will organise a defence exhibition in Kanpur next month to promote manufacturing in the upcoming defence corridor. Officials said that a defence manufacturing policy will be announced shortly and that land acquisition for the corridor would start soon.

State industries minister Satish Mahana said, “Earlier, licenses were required for manufacturing of 240 defence-related products. These have now been de-licensed and therefore we are expecting an influx of private manufacturers in the field. On Monday, I met representatives of PSUs like HAL and industrialists to work out how the project can be taken forward in a time-bound manner.”

Stalls of 240 defence-related products would be set up at the expo to attract manufacturers.

Mahana said that all formalities related to the corridor will be completed by October and added that the corridor will be developed in clusters. “New rules are being formulated for acquisition of land for the corridor that will make the process simpler. Several US companies have shown interest in investing here. A portal is coming up especially for the project and will contain details regarding its all aspects,” said infrastructure and industrial development commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEDA) has been appointed the nodal agency for the development of Bundelkhand expressway along which a major portion of defence corridor will come up. Officials said that the process of acquiring 3,000 hectare land for expressway has already started and a consultant had been appointed to prepare plans. “Its alignment is almost ready and construction should start soon,” said Mahana.