Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Shri N Chandra Babu Naidu laid the foundation stones and presided over the grounded ceremonies for a range of strategic aerospace and defence projects at Puttaparthi in Sri Satya Sai district of Andhra Pradesh. The foundation stones were laid for the Core Integration & Flight Testing Centre at Puttaparthi to fast-track the development of Fifth-Generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) & other future indigenous platforms, and the Naval Systems Manufacturing Facility at T Sirasapalli village in Anakapalli district to cater to the requirements of advanced underwater weapon & naval combat systems.
The grounding ceremonies were carried out for the Defence Energetics Facility and the Ammunition & Electric Fuses Plant at Madakasira in Sri Satya Sai District. In addition, a consortium of eight drone companies have joined forces to establish a Drone City in Kurnool. Various companies also exchanged MoUs with the government of Andhra Pradesh to establish defence units in the state.
In his address, Raksha Mantri described the commencement of the projects as “truly historic”, asserting that Aatmanirbharta in defence manufacturing is a critical imperative to safeguard national interests in the current era of global turbulence. He stated that, in matters of national security, the aim must be to achieve self-reliance rather than perpetual dependence on other nations.
“These projects will cater to all the branches of the defence forces. This strategic diversification is not coincidental. 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. The projects will prove to be a milestone in the nation’s pursuit of self-reliance and Andhra Pradesh’s journey of development,” said Shri Rajnath Singh.
Raksha Mantri added that these projects will serve as powerful “Growth Poles”, resulting in massive employment generation. “The local academic institutions, including engineering colleges and ITIs, will become integral parts of this initiative. Robust supply chains will be established, and small-scale industries will flourish. The local youth will gain a platform to work, learn, and grow within the realm of high-end technology. This will foster the development of an entire ecosystem, which will play a key role in the holistic development of the state,” he said.
The total outlay for the AMCA programme is around Rs 15,000 crore, and the Core Integration & Flight Testing Centre of Aeronautical Development Agency, an affiliate organisation of DRDO, is a vital component of the project. The facility is being established at a cost of approx. Rs 2,000 crore. “Puttaparthi is set to join the exclusive league of global destinations from which a fifth-generation aircraft will take to the skies. It will become the birthplace of an aircraft capable of annihilating the enemy in the blink of an eye,” stated Shri Rajnath Singh.
