The Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is focusing on moving towards ‘automation’ in processes involved in manufacturing explosives to make operations safer, a top government official said on Thursday.The department, which functions under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has undertaken major regulatory reforms to strengthen safety and ease of doing business, said Dr Kajal, Joint Secretary, DPIIT.
Talking to PTI in Nagpur on the sidelines of a programme, ‘Awareness workshop on reforms undertaken by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation( PESO)’, she asserted DPIIT is making concerted efforts to prevent accidental blasts at explosives manufacturing factories.
Asked what safety precautions DPIIT and PESO, which comes under the department, are taking to prevent blasts at explosives manufacturing units, Kajal said both agencies are making their best efforts to prevent such tragedies in the future.The bureaucrat was asked the question specifically in context of recent blasts at explosives manufacturing units based in Nagpur district. At least 19 workers died, and 23 others were injured in a blast at the detonator assembly unit of SBL Energy, a mining and industrial explosives manufacturer, at Raulgaon in Katol tehsil of Nagpur district in March this year.”We are trying to ensure that both sides make a combined effort, those who hold explosives licenses as well. The initial license is issued after looking at safety standards, the building, and everything. Now, coming to SOPs, both sides must follow a common SOP.”An explosive factory has its own rules and SOPs that spell out how they should operate and manage day-to-day activities. On our side, we must decide how many inspections to carry out, how to enforce rules, and ensure compliance. So this is a combined effort from both sides,” she insisted.The joint secretary informed that DPIIT is trying to increase officers’ strength in PESO and recently the department sanctioned additional posts for which recruitment is underway.”We will continue to increase strength and build capacity so people understand how to implement SOPs, including PESO-related aspects. We will ensure these SOPs are properly followed. We will hold workshops with them (explosive units) so they remain aware of and adhere to their rules and SOPs,” she stated.According to Kajal, DPIIT and PESO are focusing on moving towards ‘automation’ in processes in explosives manufacturing.”For example, electronic detonators have been introduced and old electric ones have been phased out and dismantled. With electronic detonators you can know at which location and at what time a detonation occurred and why,” she maintained.She said that in 2025 safety standards were made more stringent to prevent accidents and continuous efforts are being undertaken to avert incidents.”The government is making every effort to ‘automate’ critical processes and make rules more stringent. We do not want to hamper anyone’s business, but rules must be followed,” the IAS officer emphasised.”In critical areas we will explore automation and test which steps can be automated to make operations safer. Explosives are inherently risky, so we are trying to figure out how much can be automated and at which points. We will see in time whether we are able to implement these reforms,” said the officer.To a query on how DPIIT is looking at attracting foreign direct investment, Kajal pointed out that India recorded an all-time high gross FDI inflow of nearly USD 95 billion in FY26.”I think this year India has recorded over $94 billion (in FDI inflow). We have created a record, which is a very good thing, which shows investors have a very positive outlook for our country. DPIIT’s mandate is also to bring investment and the department is making all possible efforts so that our country, compared with other competing countries, proves to be a better location,” she stated.”This reflects the confidence of foreign investors who are coming and investing in India, and we hope that next year we will cross the $100 billion-mark,” Kajal said.Addressing a press conference earlier, the DPIIT joint secretary informed that Under Startup India project, more than 2.23 lakh startups across 56 industries have been recognised with over 51 per cent originating from Tier-II and Tier-III cities.The initiative has supported creation of more than 23.36 lakh jobs and strengthened India’s innovation ecosystem, she said.Kajal said to accelerate industrial infrastructure development, DPIIT has proposed the development of 100 investment-ready industrial parks under the Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojna (BHAVYA) initiative with an outlay of Rs 33,660 crore.The programme aligns with PM GatiShakti principles and focuses on multimodal connectivity and plug-and-play infrastructure, the IAS officer said.She stated that India Industrial Land Bank has been expanded into a comprehensive GIS-enabled platform providing plot-level information on 2,541 industrial parks across all states and Union Territories, enabling investors to access industrial land and infrastructure information through a single digital interface.As part of the government’s commitment to improving ease of doing business and promoting trust-based governance, DPIIT has advanced the Jan Vishwas reform agenda through measures aimed at decriminalising minor procedural violations and promoting a proportionate, compliance-oriented regulatory framework, the joint secretary maintained.These reforms reduce compliance burden, minimise litigation, enhance regulatory certainty and improve the business environment, while maintaining robust safeguards for public safety and national security, she insisted.Through these initiatives and reforms, DPIIT continues to advance the vision of a competitive, resilient and innovation-driven economy while ensuring safety, sustainability and inclusive industrial growth, she added.
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