UP defence corridor: How it's transforming 6 cities with Rs 39,500 crore investment
The Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor has received investment proposals worth more than Rs 39,500 crore, according to recent government figures. The project is being
The Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor has received investment proposals worth more than Rs 39,500 crore, according to recent government figures. The project is being developed across six cities — Lucknow, Kanpur, Jhansi, Aligarh, Agra and Chitrakoot — to increase defence manufacturing within India and reduce dependence on imports. The corridor was announced in the Union Budget for 2018-19. The Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) is responsible for developing the project. Read Full Story The initiative gained momentum in August 2018 when an investors’ meeting was held in Aligarh and investment proposals worth more than Rs 3,700 crore were announced. DOZENS OF COMPANIES ALLOTTED LAND Government officials said about 2,040 hectares of land have been acquired for the corridor so far. Around 978 hectares have already been allotted to companies. A total of 62 companies have received land allotments. Nine manufacturing units are currently operational, while lease agreements for 11 more units are being processed.
The state government aims to increase total investments in the corridor to nearly Rs 1 lakh crore in the coming years. KANPUR RECEIVES HIGHEST INVESTMENT Kanpur has attracted the largest share of investment, with projects worth about Rs 13,000 crore. Adani Defence & Aerospace has set up two major manufacturing plants in the city with an investment of around Rs 1,500 crore. These plants produce ammunition and missile-related equipment and started operations in February 2024. JHANSI TO BE AMMUNITION CENTRE Jhansi is being developed as a major centre for ammunition and explosives manufacturing, with investments of about Rs 11,700 crore. Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) is setting up a unit there to manufacture rocket propellant and Grad rockets. More than 531 hectares have been allotted to 16 companies in the Jhansi node for activities related to explosives, propulsion systems and weapon platforms. LUCKNOW HOUSES BRAHMOS FACILITY Lucknow is home to the BrahMos Aerospace manufacturing unit, which produces the BrahMos supersonic missile.
The project involves an investment of about Rs 300 crore. Aerolloy Technologies has also established a facility in Lucknow to manufacture titanium castings used in aerospace components, with an investment of around Rs 320 crore. Overall, the Lucknow node has attracted investments of nearly Rs 4,850 crore and has more than 12 companies operating there. ALIGARH’S FOCUS ON ELECTRONICS, DRONES Aligarh is emerging as a centre for electronic warfare systems, satellite-related equipment and drone manufacturing. Companies such as Amitech Electronics are producing electronic and satellite systems, with investments of about Rs 330 crore. The node has received investment proposals worth around Rs 4,500 crore. CHITRAKOOT, AGRA IN STILL EXPANDING In Chitrakoot, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has been allotted about 75 hectares of land for a project involving radar and air defence systems. The investment is estimated at about Rs 562 crore. Agra is still in the early stages of development, with land allotment and infrastructure work continuing.
The BriefWire