The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced the establishment of a state-of-the-art testing facility in the Mechanical & Material domain within the Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor. 

An MoU was signed on July 28, 2025, in New Delhi, between senior officials of the MoD and Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited (TIDCO) for this purpose.

This facility, to be located in Tiruchirappalli, is being set up under the Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS), which provides up to 75% government funding as 'Grant-in-Aid'. The remaining 25% will be funded by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), comprising Indian private entities and State/Central Governments. 

Micro Labs, a private entity, will be the lead SPV member for this mechanical and material testing facility. Other members of the SPV consortium include Tamilnadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited, Bharat Earth Movers Limited, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, and Vaidheswaran Industries.

The DTIS, with an outlay of Rs 400 crore, was launched by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to promote "Aatmanirbharta" (self-reliance) in defence production by reducing reliance on military equipment imports. 

Upon completion, this advanced facility will offer critical testing equipment and services to both government and private industries, providing a significant boost to indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities in India. 

This is one of seven such testing facilities approved under the DTIS, with four in Tamil Nadu and three in Uttar Pradesh, aimed at providing impetus to the defence and aerospace sectors within the Defence Industrial Corridors.