Defence Ministry unit imports titaniumsponge, though it is produced by KMML

Even as the “Make in India” slogan reigns, a rare “Made in India” product with tremendous defence and aerospace applications is being completely sidelined by Mishra Dhatu Nigam Ltd. (Midhani) and the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).

The product is titanium sponge (TS) manufactured by the public sector Kerala Minerals and Metals Ltd. (KMML) located here. Though the KMML product is certified by the Hyderabad-based Regional Centre for military airworthiness, Midhani, a Defence Ministry unit which requires more than 1,500 tonnes of TS annually, has never purchased the KMML product. Instead, it is meeting its requirement through imports from Russia.

Michael Vetha Siromany, Managing Director, KMML, told The Hindu that the situation had created a liability of Rs.40 crore for the KMML and was pushing the company into crisis. “Despite stocks of more than 400 tonnes lying unsold, production is continuing on a small scale because the TS plant cannot be kept shut down for technical reasons,” he said. The plant can produce 500 tonnes of TS annually.

VSSC’s case

The VSSC requirement is less and there is a MoU between the KMML and the VSSC that the latter will buy 70 tonnes from the KMML for three years from 2011. But the VSSC stopped purchase in 2012 itself. India’s annual titanium sponge requirement is around 2,000 tonnes.

It was based on a proposal from the former President of India, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, while serving as scientific advisor to the Prime Minister, that the Centre decided to set up the plant to produce TS. The plant was inaugurated in February 2011 by the then Defence Minister A.K. Antony. Commercial production began in September that year.