The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a state-of-the-art Mechanical and Material domain testing facility in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor. The agreement, signed on 28 July 2025 in New Delhi, falls under the Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS) and was formalised in the presence of Shri Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary (Defence Production), MoD.

The DTIS provides up to 75 per cent government funding as Grant-in-Aid, with the remaining 25 per cent to be contributed by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), comprising Indian private entities and Central/State Government bodies.

For this project, Micro Labs will lead the SPV consortium, which also includes Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited (TIDCO), Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), and Vaidheswaran Industries. Once operational, the facility will offer advanced mechanical and materials testing services to both government and private industry, bolstering India’s self-reliance in defence manufacturing.

Launched with an outlay of Rs 4 billion, the DTIS aims to foster indigenous defence production and reduce reliance on imported military equipment. Spearheaded by Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh, the initiative supports the establishment of cutting-edge testing infrastructure through public-private partnerships.