Chennai: PM Modi hands over Arjun Battle Tank to Army
What's the story
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today handed over the indigenously-developed Arjun Main Battle Tank (Mark 1A) to Army Chief General MM Naravane in Chennai, where he has gone to launch various government programs.
The PM also accepted a salute by the state-of-the-art tank designed, developed, and manufactured by the Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment.
Here are more details.
Details
Defence Ministry cleared induction of 118 Arjun tanks
Apart from the DRDO, 15 academic institutions, eight labs, and several MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) were also involved in the design and development of the tank.
Earlier, in a high-level meeting, the Defence Ministry had cleared the induction of 118 Arjun Mark 1A tanks into the Indian Army costing nearly Rs. 8,400 crore, ANI had reported.
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'Proud to dedicate one more warrior to the country'
Expressing pride in handing over the tank to the Army, PM Modi said, "Tamil Nadu is already the leading automobile manufacturing hub of India. Now, I see Tamil Nadu evolving as the tank manufacturing hub of India."
"One of the two defence corridors is in Tamil Nadu... Today, I am proud to dedicate to the country, one more warrior to protect our frontiers," he added.
Other details
PM Modi launched a 9km stretch of Chennai Metro Rail
PM Modi also launched a nine-kilometer-long stretch of the Chennai Metro Rail and laid the foundation stone of Discovery Campus of IIT Madras, which is expected to cost Rs. 1,000 crore.
He will also lay the foundation stone for the renovation and modernization of Anaicut Canal. He also praised the farmers of Tamil Nadu for "record food grain production and good use of water."
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TN to go to polls later this year
"We're inaugurating the 9 km stretch of the Chennai Metro Phase-I project. This project has been completed on schedule despite the global pandemic. The civil construction activities were done by Indian contractors. This is in line with the boost to Atmanirbhar Bharat (sic)," PM Modi said today.
PM Modi's visit comes ahead of the state Assembly polls scheduled to be held later this year.