L&T to set up research facility for weapon systems

Mumbai: Heavy engineering giant Larsen & Toubro (L&T) will set up a major research facility that will conceptualise weapon systems developed by government agency DRDO for commercial production. “We are not looking to set up something parallel to DRDO . It will be complementary,'' said Mr M V Kotwal, L&T Board Member.

Elaborating on the research facility, he said DRDO has got a valuable role if it restricts to real cutting edge high-end technologies, which India is yet to acquire. L&T would concentrate on applying the high-end technologies developed by DRDO, he said.

The heavy engineering firm is also planning investments at its manufacturing base in Coimbatore where various divisions of the company are setting up a unit. The Coimbatore facility was mainly for defence and aerospace equipment manufacturing, Mr Kotwal further added, “the facility would concentrate on high precision manufacturing.''