Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 30 : Reliance Infrastructure-promoted Reliance Defence on Monday announced a strategic agreement with Coastal Mechanics, a leading US Department of Defence-authorised contractor, to jointly address India's Rs 20,000 crore defence maintenance, repair, overhaul (MRO) and upgrade market opportunity.
According to a statement from Reliance Infrastructure, Reliance Defence and Coastal Mechanics will focus on providing end-to-end Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul (MRO), upgrade, and lifecycle support solutions for the Indian Armed Forces, targeting a wide range of critical platforms such as 100+ Jaguar fighter aircrafts, 100+ MiG-29 fighter aircrafts, the fleet of Apache attack helicopters, L-70 air defence guns, and other legacy systems that require long-term sustainment and modernisation.
The MRO segment represents a high-value, long-duration opportunity driven by the Indian military's strategic shift from asset replacement to lifecycle extension and performance-based logistics.
Reliance Defence and Coastal Mechanics will also set up a Joint Venture (JV) at MIHAN in Maharashtra, to serve both the Indian market and export markets, the company statement said.
This JV will provide complete Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) and upgrade services for various air and land defence platforms used by the armed forces.
Coastal Mechanics supplies critical components to the US Air Force and US Army.
"Its partnership with Reliance Defence brings world-class manufacturing capabilities and global certifications into India's aerospace ecosystem," the company statement added.
It said Reliance Defence aims to become one of India's top three defence exporters.
"The partnership represents a significant step in advancing the Government of India's 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' and 'Make in India' initiatives, aimed at indigenising defence production and reducing reliance on imports," added the Reliance Infrastructure statement.
Reliance Group has two prominent companies under its umbrella, Reliance Infrastructure Limited and Reliance Power Limited. They are debt-free with zero outstanding loans from banks or financial institutions.
Reliance Infrastructure Limited is active in the energy sector, focusing on power distribution in Delhi and power generation. The company also has interests in defence manufacturing and plays a key role in infrastructure development through special purpose vehicles (SPVs), including projects like the Mumbai Metro.