Rajnath Singh lays foundation for AMCA testing centre, defence projects in Andhra Pradesh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday (May 15) laid the foundation stones for major aerospace and defence projects in Andhra Pradesh aimed at boosting indigenous defence manufacturing.

The project include the core integration & flight testing centre for the fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme at Puttaparthi in Sri Satya Sai district and a Naval Systems Manufacturing Facility at T Sirasapalli village in Anakapalli district.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the AMCA core integration & flight testing centre will support the development and testing of India’s indigenous fifth-generation fighter aircraft and future combat platforms. The facility, being developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency under DRDO, is being developed at a cost of Rs 2,000 crore under the overall Rs 15,000 crore AMCA programme.

Addressing the gathering, Rajnath Singh described the projects as “truly historic” and said, “Aatmanirbharta in defence is a critical imperative for national security.”

He added that the government aims to make all three services future-ready through indigenous capabilities.

The Naval Systems Manufacturing Facility, a Rs 480 crore project of Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), will manufacture autonomous underwater vehicles, counter-measure systems and next-generation torpedoes.

The Defence Minster stated that the projects would act as major “growth poles” for Andhra Pradesh by generating large-scale employment opportunities and creating a strong ecosystem involving engineering colleges, ITIs, MSMEs, and local supply chains.

Grounding ceremonies were also organised for the Defence Energetics Facility of Agneyastra Energetics Limited, a subsidiary of Bharat Forge Limited, and the Ammunition & Electric Fuses Plant of HFCL Limited at Madakasira in Sri Satya Sai district.

The Defence Energetics Facility is being established with an investment of Rs 1,500 crore, while the Ammunition & Electric Fuses Plant is being developed with an investment of approximately Rs 1,200 crore.

In another major development, eight drone companies inked agreements to establish a Drone City in Kurnool, aimed at creating a hub for drone manufacturing and innovation. Rajnath Singh stated drone technology a “game changer” in modern warfare and expressed confidence that the region would emerge as the country’s “Drone Hub”.

Highlighting India’s defence manufacturing growth, the Defence Minister said defence production has risen from around Rs 46,000 crore in 2014 to nearly Rs 1.54 lakh crore currently. He added that the figure is expected to touch Rs 1.75 lakh crore within the next one or two months. Defence exports have also surged from about Rs 600 crore a decade ago to nearly Rs 40,000 crore today.

During his address, Chandrababu Naidu praised the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh towards strengthening India’s defence capabilities and modernising the military through sustained focus on indigenisation and self-reliance.

He said initiatives such as Operation Sindoor reflect the country’s growing technological and military capabilities. Naidu also assured full support from the Andhra Pradesh government to defence and aerospace investments in the state.