VEM Technologies, an aerospace and defense company based in Hyderabad, has set up an advanced Seeker manufacturing facility in the city, which is advertised as the first such facility with indigenous technology in the private sector in India.

GP Sarma, senior vice-president, Marketing, VEM Technologies stated that the new facility set up at Hardware Park in Tukkuguda near Srisailam Road with an investment of over Rs 100 crore is spread over 1,25,000 sq ft, with facilities needed for the assembly, integration, and testing of subsystems required under one roof for radio frequency ( RF) and infrared radar imaging (IIR) seekers.

VEM Technologies to Set Up Facilities in Hyderabad

V Venkata Raju, who is also the Chairman and Managing Director of VEM, founded the VEM Technologies, with the goal of making the company a system engineering company providing solutions to the armed services that make the country self-reliant. Since 2013, the company has been focusing on developing Seeker development capabilities. Seekers allow missiles to track and hit the targets with perfection.

Sarma stated, They are looking at RF Seekers to cater to domestic needs. There are very few countries with Seeker manufacturing capabilities in the world. Countries like the United States, Russia, France, Israel, and India have the capacity to create them. There is, however, a good export scope for IIR Seekers.

Recently  Dr. G Satheesh Reddy, secretary, Department of Defence R&D & chairman-DRDO inaugurated VEM's Advanced Systems Division has the potential to produce about 60 RF Seekers per month and about 300 IIR Seekers per month.

For different missile programs, the facility can cater to IIR Seekers. Based on the orders, the company will increase capacity. The company received soft financial assistance for 'Growth' from the Technology Development Board, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, at a rate of Rs 25 crore.

Despite Covid, Hyderabad's defense and aerospace ecosystem attracting new investments and most players are expanding capacities to meet the opportunities posed by indigenization goals and Aatma Nirbhar Bharat's push in defense development, said Praveen P A, director, Aerospace & Defence, Government of Telangana.