On July 17, 2018, Vidarbha Defence Industries Association (VDIA) held investors summit in the presence of the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis and Mr. Anand Bhade, President – Asia-Pacific, Tata Technologies. The VDIA was represented by the chairman, Lt Gen (Retired) Mr. Ravindra Thodge (who recently visited Bratislava Defence Expo). A special guest from Slovakia, the company CSM Industry Ltd, producer of special military UDS excavators and bulldozers represented by the chairman Tomáš Maroš and CEO Pavol Šimkovič attended the meeting as well in order to look for partnership onmanufacturing of UDS in VDIA Nagpur Hub. The parties were introduced by the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Vice President and Managing Director India Mr. Harish Reddy attended the meeting in Nagpur too.
Tata Technologies Ltd., a global engineering services provider, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Vidarbha Defence Industries Association (VDIA) at the “Made in Vidarbha – Aerospace and Defence”. In alignment with the “Make in India” initiative, this center will help establish Maharashtra as the preferred investment destination for aerospace & defence manufacturing, promote indigenous and modernized technological capabilities and develop skilled resources to support Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to be globally competitive in the aerospace & defence sector.
Speaking on the occasion, Lt Gen (Retired) Mr. Ravindra Thodge, the chairman of VDIA said, “Our objective is to create an aerospace & defence manufacturing hub in the Nagpur and Vidarbha region “. The Companies like CSM Industry Slovakia can be a great value to the manufacturing HUB and we would like to bring more companies from Slovakia, said Vice President Harish Reddy.
On July 18, 2018, the Chairman of CSM Industry – Tomáš Maroš and CEO Pavol Šimkovič were invited to BEML Headquarters in Bangalore to present the Slovak company which produces the UDS Trucks and Excavators used by mining, defence, firefighting and patrol units. The group was accompanied by Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Indian Chamber, Mr. Alexander Horvath, VP India Mr. Harish Reddy and Managing Director of INDCHAM Karantaka, Mr. Rohith Ramadas. From BEML, the business directors from Marketing and Defence were present with follow up meeting with Chairman of BEML, Mr. Deepak Kumar Hota.
During the meeting the parties exchanged the company profiles and started discussion on potential cooperation in the field of defence, firefighting, mining with the interest of possibility to make UDS in India
The business trip was summed up by visiting Honorary Consul of Sri Lanka, Mr. Mahen Kariyawasan, in the capital city Colombo, where board members of INDCHAM exchanged possibilities of cooperation on B2B and B2G. Sri Lanka offers wide range of opportunities for Slovak companies and the fact that together with India they share the free trade zone, makes lucrative option to explore.
