BRO for greater alignment of construction equipment industry with defence sector

Talking about the challenges in high-altitude areas where temperatures are less than zero and machines face impediments in starting and lose efficiency over the time, Chaudhry said, “Most of the places are remote where the road is not even cut and there is no visibility or possibility of taking the equipment ahead. So we want lighter equipment. We want technologies which can increase our working period. Indian industries have made some rapid strides in recent times and have been disrupted by the continuous advancement of technology. We also aim to embrace the latest technology to meet any challenges that might threaten the country’s security.”

Elaborating on the achievements of the BRO, Chaudhry said, “Last year, we dedicated 102 projects to the nation. The government of India has increased the budget of the BRO this year by 40 per cent, which has never happened before. Very soon we would be making a tunnel at the Shinku La pass, which would be the highest tunnel in the world, at 15,855 feet. The Brahmaputra tunnel would be the first one to have rail and road connectivity under the river. The BRO is continuously working to develop and maintain road networks in India’s border areas and friendly neighbouring countries. With the recently embarked projects for developing roads, bridges and airfields in hostile environments, there are opportunities for CE players to collaborate and further enable the defence sector.”

All bridges built by the BRO have been audited in the past one and a half years and the retrofitting of weak bridges is underway, Chaudhri said. “The Indian CE industry has the opportunity to lead the way for greater developments by incorporating technology to reinforce defence,” he added.

Lieutenant General Harpal Singh, engineer-in-chief of the Army said, “India’s defence sector is seeking cooperation from the Indian construction equipment industry to have access to the most up-to-date building technologies and machinery to build strong infrastructure efficiently with minimal environmental impact. To establish a smart defence base, we need to concentrate on digitised construction, security solutions and support localisation.”

The Civil Engineering Conference for the Asian Region, which will be held in September, will showcase the flagship projects of the armed forces and how technological advancements have been incorporated into the defence sector.