PUTTAPARTHI, ANDHRA PRADESH — May 14, 2026 : Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will preside over the foundation stone laying and grounding ceremonies for multiple aerospace and defence projects across Andhra Pradesh on May 15, 2026, in a major push to expand India’s indigenous defence manufacturing and aerospace infrastructure under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
The primary event will take place at Puttaparthi in Sri Sathya Sai District, where the foundation stone will be laid for the Aircraft Integration and Flight Testing Centre of the Aeronautical Development Agency under the Defence Research and Development Organisation. The facility will support aircraft integration, systems validation, testing and certification activities for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme, India’s fifth-generation stealth fighter project.
The AMCA testing and integration complex is planned with an estimated investment of ₹15,803 crore and will cover approximately 650 acres. The Andhra Pradesh government has allocated around 150 acres adjacent to the Puttaparthi airport runway for the core facility, along with an additional 200 acres for satellite offices, residential infrastructure and support services. The state government will also facilitate the extension of the Puttaparthi runway to 10,000 feet, alongside the construction of a new Air Traffic Control tower, advanced navigation systems and weather monitoring infrastructure.
The facility is expected to conduct aircraft assembly, systems integration, validation and flight certification for the AMCA programme, which aims to manufacture around 140 fifth-generation stealth fighters. The first prototype is expected between late 2026 and early 2027. The centre is also intended to support future indigenous combat aircraft and unmanned aerial systems programmes. The project is projected to generate approximately 7,500 direct highly-skilled jobs.
During the visit, Rajnath Singh will also lay the foundation stone for a new Naval Systems Manufacturing Facility of Bharat Dynamics Limited at T. Sirasapalli village in Anakapalli district. The Andhra Pradesh government has allocated around 160 acres for the project. The facility will manufacture advanced underwater weapon systems, including heavy-weight and light-weight torpedoes, along with integrated naval combat systems to support the operational requirements of the Indian Armed Forces.
Grounding ceremonies will also be conducted for multiple private-sector defence manufacturing projects in Madakasira, Sri Sathya Sai District.
Agneyastra Energetics Limited, a subsidiary of Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited, will begin work on its Defence Energetics Facility after acquiring approximately 949.65 acres from the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation. The project will include high explosives manufacturing, ammunition filling and gun propellant production facilities, with provisions for future expansion into energetics for rockets, missile systems, space launch vehicles and advanced defence applications.
HFCL Limited will also commence construction of its Ammunition & Electric Fuzes Plant at Madakasira. The company has been allotted 1,000 acres in two phases, including 329 acres in Phase I and 671 acres in Phase II. Supported by an estimated investment of ₹230 crore, the facility will manufacture artillery ammunition shells, TNT filling systems, Multi-Mode Hand Grenades developed in collaboration with DRDO, and electronic fuzes including point detonating, time and proximity variants. The plant is designed to produce around 40 lakh units annually, with completion targeted for December 2027.
Expansion-related grounding ceremonies will also be held for Premier Explosives Limited as part of the state’s broader defence manufacturing expansion plans.
In Kurnool, the Andhra Pradesh government will formally initiate projects linked to the proposed Drone City initiative, aimed at developing a dedicated hub for unmanned aerial systems, avionics and drone-related manufacturing. Participating companies include Drogo Drones Private Limited, Dronelab Technologies Pvt Ltd, HC Robotics Pvt Ltd, SenseImage Technologies Private Limited, Aerpace Industries, JDK Fly Drone World Pvt Ltd and Latrics.
Several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between the Andhra Pradesh government and private aerospace and defence companies are also expected to be signed during the event under the state’s Aerospace and Defence Policy 2025–30.
The projects across Puttaparthi, Madakasira, Anakapalli and Kurnool are intended to establish an integrated aerospace and defence manufacturing corridor in southern India, connecting emerging production centres with the established aerospace and defence research ecosystem in Bengaluru.
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