Triggering off a new adventure

THE LATEST UNION BUDGET estimates that capital expenditure on defence services in 2010-11 will be Rs 60,000 crore. The Defence Research and Development Organisation, the apex body for military technology in the country, has just one ballistics lab in Chandigarh, where it tests arms, ammunition, and body armour among other military equipment. DuPont’s test range, if approved, will be the first ballistics testing facility to be set up by a multinational company in India. The range will be capable of testing soft body armour (vests), hard body armour (helmets) and stab protection, and will be equipped to test ammunition used in India. Once built, the facility will enable DuPont to work closely with the Indian security agencies to better understand their threats and tailor solutions to counter them. This could include collaboration with local companies and research institutes to work with various materials to develop indigenous solutions for local markets.