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Thursday March 28, 2024

Heavy Industries Taxila invites EOIs for proposed commercial venture

By Javed Mirza
September 07, 2019

KARACHI: Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) has invited expressions of interest (EOIs) from consultant firms to create and implement the marketing plan and strategy for a newly established public sector commercial concern.

According to the request for EOIs issued by the government owned military industrial complex, an amendment in the Gazette of Pakistan of HIT Board is under process, whereby the HIT would be authorised to form a private/public limited company to market and sell products and services and to perform all other commercial activities.

HIT needs a consultant firm responsible for the making and implementation of plans and strategy for marketing, communications, knowledge management, branding, and outreach activities.

According to EOI, the plan and strategy would be centred on the core of the business and what services and products could be offered by the HIT or its commercial company to be established in due course of time.

Heavy Industries Taxila expects the consultant to help create a detailed marketing plan, determine the marketing message, and identify the appropriate marketing mix to get the message out.

During the last week of August, the Senate passed legislation to support the transformation of the state’s defence enterprise, HIT, into a corporate entity.

The Senate’s Standing Committee on Defence Production said in a report that the move to corporatise Heavy Industries Taxila would enable the enterprise to enter joint ventures (JVs) more easily with national and foreign firms.

The bill was approved earlier this year by Pakistan’s National Assembly and was referred to the Senate for consideration in May.

The senate committee noted that surplus commercial potential of all defence production establishments should be utilised and enhanced to earn sufficient revenue for supporting the defence production industry.

According to the committee, other objectives for corporatizing HIT include enabling the enterprise to earn revenues to fund Pakistan’s defence budget; support national efforts to move incrementally towards self-sustenance in the defence sector; support private-sector defence industrial expansion in Pakistan; and help bring in the latest technologies into the country.

Heavy Industries Taxila is the largest defence products manufacturer and has grown into a military industrial complex since its foundation in 1971.The HIT promotes, markets, engineers, develops, and undertakes heavy engineering works for Pakistan’s military and for the civilian law enforcement agencies.