Ground Breaking ceremony for AMCA Centre in Andhra Pradesh. 15.05.2026.
AMCA Centre in Andhra Pradesh: Puttaparthi, May 15, 2026. India’s push for defence self-reliance received a major boost on Friday as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu launched a series of strategic aerospace and military manufacturing projects in Andhra Pradesh, positioning the state as an emerging centre for advanced defence production and innovation.
The projects, unveiled during a high-profile event at Puttaparthi in Sri Sathya Sai district, include a major flight testing centre for India’s fifth-generation stealth fighter programme, a naval systems manufacturing complex, ammunition and energetics facilities, and a new “Drone City” initiative being developed by a consortium of private companies.
The announcements mark one of the most ambitious attempts yet to create an integrated defence-industrial ecosystem involving public sector enterprises, private industry, start-ups, and state-level infrastructure support.
Officials described the projects as part of India’s broader effort to accelerate indigenous defence manufacturing under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative while reducing dependence on foreign military imports amid growing global strategic uncertainty.
AMCA Programme Gains Critical Infrastructure
The centrepiece of the announcements was the foundation stone laying for the Core Integration & Flight Testing Centre for India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme — the country’s flagship fifth-generation stealth fighter initiative.
The facility, to be established at Puttaparthi by the Aeronautical Development Agency, an affiliate organisation of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, will support integration and flight testing for the AMCA and future indigenous aerospace platforms.
The overall AMCA programme has an estimated outlay of approximately ₹15,000 crore, while the new testing centre itself is being developed at a cost of around ₹2,000 crore.
Addressing the gathering, Rajnath Singh said the facility would place Puttaparthi among a select group of global aerospace locations associated with advanced fighter aircraft development.
“Puttaparthi is set to join the exclusive league of global destinations from which a fifth-generation aircraft will take to the skies,” he said. “It will become the birthplace of an aircraft capable of annihilating the enemy in the blink of an eye.”
The AMCA programme is regarded as central to India’s long-term plans to modernise the Indian Air Force with indigenous stealth and advanced combat capabilities.
Naval Systems Facility to Strengthen Maritime Security
The Defence Minister and Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone for a Naval Systems Manufacturing Facility at T Sirasapalli village in Anakapalli district.
The ₹480 crore project, being developed by Bharat Dynamics Limited, will focus on autonomous underwater vehicles, underwater counter-measure systems, and next-generation torpedoes.
Officials said the facility would manufacture several critical components and subsystems that India currently imports from overseas suppliers.
Rajnath Singh described the project as strategically important for India’s maritime security and naval modernisation efforts.
He said the facility would significantly enhance the Indian Navy’s operational capabilities while contributing to the country’s expanding Blue Economy ambitions.
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Ammunition and Energetics Projects Expand Indigenous Capability
Grounding ceremonies were also held for two major private-sector defence manufacturing projects at Madakasira in Sri Sathya Sai district.
The first, a Defence Energetics Facility being established by Agneyastra Energetics Limited — a subsidiary of Bharat Forge Limited — involves an investment of approximately ₹1,500 crore.
The second project, an Ammunition & Electric Fuses Plant being developed by HFCL Limited, is being set up with an investment of around ₹1,200 crore.
Calling fuses “the most critical component of any ammunition,” Rajnath Singh said the project would help open a new chapter in India’s journey toward self-reliance in ammunition manufacturing.
“The state-of-the-art fuses manufactured at the plant will significantly bolster the capabilities of our defence forces,” he said.
Officials indicated that the projects are expected to strengthen India’s preparedness for future warfare requirements while boosting domestic production of key defence components.
Andhra Pradesh Bets Big on Drone Technology
In another significant announcement, a consortium of eight drone companies formally joined hands to establish a “Drone City” in Kurnool.
The initiative is intended to create a specialised ecosystem for drone manufacturing, testing, innovation, and skill development, reflecting the rapidly growing importance of unmanned systems in modern warfare and civilian applications.
Rajnath Singh described drone technology as a “game changer” in contemporary warfare and said India must become globally competitive in the sector.
“Drone technology has emerged as a true game changer in modern warfare. Moreover, its role is rapidly expanding across other sectors,” he said.
Drawing comparisons with established industrial clusters, the Defence Minister predicted that Kurnool could emerge as a national drone manufacturing centre.
“Just as Surat is known as the ‘Diamond City’ and Bengaluru as India’s ‘Silicon Valley,’ this region will soon be recognised as the ‘Drone Hub’ of the nation,” he said.
Defence Manufacturing as Economic Strategy
The projects are also expected to have a substantial economic impact on Andhra Pradesh.
Rajnath Singh described the facilities as “Growth Pole” projects capable of generating large-scale employment and catalysing industrial ecosystems across the region.
He said engineering colleges, ITIs, local supply chains, and small-scale industries would become integrated into the emerging defence manufacturing network.
“The local youth will gain a platform to work, learn, and grow within the realm of high-end technology,” he said. “This will foster the development of an entire ecosystem, which will play a key role in the holistic development of the state.”
Industry experts say the clustering of aerospace, naval systems, ammunition manufacturing, and drone technologies within Andhra Pradesh could significantly reshape the state’s industrial profile over the next decade.
Push for Aatmanirbharta in Defence
Throughout the event, Rajnath Singh repeatedly stressed that defence self-reliance was no longer merely an economic objective but a strategic necessity.
“Aatmanirbharta in defence manufacturing is a critical imperative to safeguard national interests in the current era of global turbulence,” he said.
He argued that India’s long-term national security goals required reducing dependence on foreign suppliers and strengthening domestic capabilities across all three military services.
“These projects will cater to all the branches of the defence forces,” he said. “Our objective is crystal clear: We are advancing with the resolute goal of achieving self-reliance in the defence sector, ensuring that the three Services are future-ready.”
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Defence Production Nears Record Levels
Highlighting the broader transformation of India’s defence sector, the Defence Minister said domestic defence production had risen from around ₹46,000 crore in 2014 to nearly ₹1.54 lakh crore today.
He expressed confidence that the figure would reach ₹1.75 lakh crore within the next one or two months.
According to official figures cited during the event, defence exports have also surged from roughly ₹600 crore a decade ago to nearly ₹40,000 crore currently.
Rajnath Singh attributed the growth to increased participation from private industry, start-ups, MSMEs, and innovation-led manufacturing ecosystems.
“The Public-Private Partnership model has transformed defence manufacturing into a mass movement,” he said.
He added that India was now moving beyond a “Whole of Government” approach toward a “Whole of Country and Whole of People” strategy involving broad-based participation in national security efforts.
Warning Against Misinformation
In a notable portion of his address, the Defence Minister also warned against the dangers of misinformation and psychological disruption in an era of hybrid conflict.
“It isn’t necessary that our adversaries try to attack us solely with weapons,” he said. “They may attempt to cause harm by spreading rumors or misinformation.”
He cautioned that false narratives designed to create panic or instability could become tools of disruption and urged citizens to remain vigilant.
Andhra Pradesh Seeks Leadership Role
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu described the projects as transformational for both Andhra Pradesh and India’s defence preparedness.
He praised the central government’s focus on indigenisation, defence modernisation, and innovation-led industrial development.
Naidu also referred to Operation Sindoor as an example of India’s growing defence and technological capabilities under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat framework.
Calling on industries and entrepreneurs to “Design-in-Andhra Pradesh, Make-in-Andhra Pradesh, lead-from-Andhra Pradesh,” the Chief Minister pledged full state government support for defence-sector investments.
“New Andhra Pradesh is being built with three strengths — Innovation, Infrastructure and Industrialisation,” he said. “As India marches towards the goal of Viksit Bharat, Andhra Pradesh will lead from the front.”
The event was attended by Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, Defence Production Secretary Sanjeev Kumar, senior Ministry of Defence officials, industry executives, and representatives from participating companies.
With projects spanning stealth fighter development, naval warfare systems, ammunition manufacturing, energetics, and drones, Andhra Pradesh is now positioning itself as a major node in India’s rapidly expanding defence-industrial network — one that New Delhi hopes will support both strategic autonomy and long-term economic growth.
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