Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan writes to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh against move to delink BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Ltd. from parent company

Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan has shot off a letter to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh seeking urgent measures for the protection of BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Ltd. (BATL).

Mr. Satheesan has urged Mr. Singh to retain the BATL as a subsidiary of the Indo-Russian missile joint venture BrahMos Aerospace Pvt. Ltd. (BAPL) or restructure it as a direct production centre under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Mr. Satheesan wrote the letter to New Delhi amidst reports that the BAPL management was moving to ‘delink’ the BATL from it.

Growing concern

He informed the Defence Minister that there was “growing concern” that such a decision could ultimately result in the privatisation of the unit. Employees unions had raised serious concerns over the alleged move and had sought the immediate attention of the State government in this matter.

The BATL, as a subsidiary of the BAPL, had played a vital role in India’s missile production ecosystem and national security framework, Mr. Satheesan said. “The timing of the delinking immediately after the success of Operation Sindoor raises further apprehension. I am told that neither the Kerala government, nor the employees, nor the trade unions were consulted or informed about this critical shift. There is growing concern that this move may be a prelude to eventual privatisation or transfer of the unit to an unknown private player,” Mr. Satheesan said in the June 27 letter.

Mr. Satheesan urged Mr. Singh to ensure that the BATL was retained as a fully-owned subsidiary under the BAPL, “preserving its current functional, administrative and strategic status,” or, reconstitute it as a direct production centre under the DRDO with the employees enjoying status and benefits equal to that of DRDO staff.