Andhra Pradesh Boosts Defence Manufacturing After Missile Test

Andhra Pradesh made a courageous step to enhance its role in defence manufacturing, with major plans being rolled out after the successful test of a precision missile being launched from a drone by DRDO at Kurnool.  Also, it hopes to become India’s top aerospace defence production hub, with a supportive policy regime and a ready-to-go industrial infrastructure.

The missile test, carried out on July 25, marked a significant milestone for India’s defence capabilities. This test was conducted at the National Open Area Range and the work was an indigenous UAV-launched missile system. Andhra Pradesh is benefitting with its emergence as a defence innovation and potential testing ground for high-end trials.

Riding the momentum from the missile test, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu suggested the establishment of four dedicated defence clusters across the state in focusing on missiles, drones, electronics and naval systems in the Indian aerospace defence environment. These facilities encompass sites across Jaggaiahpet, Donakonda, Orvakal, Lepakshi, and Visakhapatnam covering more than 20,000 acres of land set for advanced manufacturing and R&D.

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In addition, the Andhra Pradesh state government current dispatching proposals to the central government, for establishing entities, including a DRDO-IIT Tirupati research centre, common ammunition storage, and strategic expansion opportunities for the prominent PSUs HAL, and BEL.  Andhra Pradesh’s recent rollout of specialised SOPs further cements its commitment to attracting top-tier defence investments, especially from large-scale firms.

With a forward-looking approach and an emphasis on defence manufacturing, Andhra Pradesh is quickly emerging as a key player in India’s strategic industrial landscape.