The Ministry of Defence today signed contracts worth over 4000 crore rupees for the acquisition of a dedicated communication satellite capability, GSAT-7C for the Indian Air Force, and Varunastra Heavy Weight Torpedoes for the Indian Navy. The contracts were signed in the presence of Additional Secretary and Director General (Acquisition), Department of Defence, A Anbarasu in New Delhi.
The contract for GSAT-7C, valued at over 2500 crore rupees, was inked with New Space India Limited, Bengaluru. The Ministry said this indigenously designed, developed and manufactured satellite will enhance the secure, resilient and seamless communication capabilities for the assets of the Indian Air Force, thereby strengthening operational effectiveness.
Further, the contract for Varunastra was signed with Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad worth over 1500 crore rupees. Varunastra is an indigenous ship-launched anti-submarine torpedo developed by the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory. Equipped with advanced maneuvering capabilities, it is capable of engaging enemy submarines at long ranges, thereby enhancing the anti-submarine warfare capability of the Indian Navy.
The Ministry said that both contracts mark a significant step towards advancing the development of domestic defence manufacturing capabilities while promoting self-reliance in critical technologies in line with the Government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make-in-India vision.
