Rs.1,600 crore DRDO unit to come up in Telangana

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will set up a unit in Telangana with an investment of Rs.1,600 crore, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao said Wednesday.

KCR, as the chief minister is popularly known, Wednesday announced that the state government will allot 100 acres of land for the project at Nagarjuna Sagar, famous for a dam across the Krishna river.

He told a meeting of officials that after scouting various states for a suitable location for the strategic unit, the DRDO finalised Nagarjuna Sagar in Nalgonda district.

According to a statement from the Chief Minister's Office, this will be the first such defence unit of its kind in India. It, however, did not reveal the nature of the project.

"Only five countries has this kind of unit. Presently, the Indian defence establishment depends on a unit located in Moscow for its requirements," the statement quoted the chief minister as saying at the meeting convened to review the project.

The facility will also have the capability to meet the requirements of other countries.

KCR said the required electricity and water would be supplied for the facility. He asked officials to immediately accord all clearances.

The chief minister hoped that the DRDO unit will give recognition to Nagarjuna Sagar.

He also announced that an air strip will be constructed in the town, which will not only meet the requirements of defence but will also benefit tourists.

The DRDO has several laboratories in Hyderabad.