Atmanirbhar Warrior! India’s first indigenously-developed driverless metro car unveiled!

Bengaluru, Jan 16: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveiled the country’s first indigenously designed and developed Driverless Metro Car at the BEML manufacturing facility in Bengaluru. The minister, who visited the facility, said he was proud of the good work the team of engineers and technicians are doing at Bengaluru-headquartered BEML. "They are the real warriors of Atmanirbhar Bharat, taking India ahead", he said.

 

 

 

The state-of-the-art ‘Driverless Metro Car’ is for Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The indigenously designed & developed state-of-the-art driverless Metro trains are being manufactured at BEML Bangaluru Complex.

 

Speaking on the occasion Singh, said that MMRDA project has 63 per cent indigenous content which will enhance to 75 per cent in next two to three years. "The Driverless metro car reflects Indian Industry’s overwhelming response to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s Atmanairbhar Bharat Abhiyan call" he said.

 

 

Later, he said, "This driverless metro car project will act as a source of inspiration to other Indian companies, particularly the defence industry to help India emerge as a manufacturing hub which, in turn, will fulfil 5 Billion US Dollar defence export target and 25 Billion US Dollar defence industry turn over by 2025."

 

The Ministry of Defence has taken a number of steps like introducing Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy (DPEPP) 2020 and new Defence Acquisition Policy incorporating provisions for purchasing equipment and platforms with more indigenous technology.

 

Citing the government’s recent decision to procure 83 Tejas fighter aircrafts from HAL at the cost of nearly Rs. 50,000 crore, Singh said, "It will create over 50000 new job opportunities and about 500 Indian companies including MSMEs as well as private companies will get a business boost with the HAL’s Tejas project."

 

Singh expressed hope that MMRDA driver-less technology will lead to its expansion into other fields of defence such as tanks and fighter planes in the future. He expressed his happiness that the Covid-19 pandemic, which has halted progress across the world, has had almost no impact on the production activities of BEML and DPSUs.

 

Further, Singh also virtually launched the Aerospace Assembly Hangar, situated within BEML’s Bangalore Complex, and unveiled first indigenously manufactured Tatra Cabin by BEML.