Government focussing on 'automation' of explosive units for safer operations: Official

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A view of the explosion site at the SBL Energy Limited facility. File | Photo Credit: PTI

“The Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is focussing on moving towards 'automation' in processes involved in manufacturing explosives to make operations safer,” a senior government official has said.

“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,” DPIIT Joint Secretary Dr. Kajal said on Thursday (June 11, 2026).

Talking to PTI in Nagpur on the sidelines of '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, the official said both agencies are making their best efforts to prevent such tragedies in the future.

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She was asked specifically in the context of recent blasts at explosives units in Nagpur. At least 19 workers died and 23 were injured in a blast at the detonator assembly unit of Special Blasts Limited (SBL) Energy, a mining and industrial explosives manufacturer, in Katol tehsil of the district in March.

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"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 Standard Operating Procedures (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 inspection