'Leap forward in self-reliance': Adani Defence unveils ammo, missile sites

Lines up investment of over Rs 3,000 crore

In what the company characterises as a “landmark achievement for India’s defence sector”, Adani Defence and Aerospace (Adani Defence) inaugurated two mega facilities on Monday to manufacture ammunition and missiles.

“The establishment of these ammunition and missile complexes represents a leap forward in our quest for self-reliance. With a planned investment of over Rs 3,000 crore, its impact extends far beyond the defence sector. It will create over 4,000 jobs, with 5x the multiplier effect on medium, small, and micro enterprises,” said Ashish Rajvanshi, head of Adani Defence.

The inauguration coincided with the fifth anniversary of Operation Bandar, the Indian Air Force (IAF) bomb strikes on a terrorist camp inside Pakistani territory. The IAF strikes were in retaliation for a suicide car bomb attack near Pulwama, just outside Srinagar.

The Pakistani extremist group, Jaish-e-Mohammed, claimed credit for the killing of close to 40 Indian policemen in the car bomb attack, leading to Indian air strikes on the JeM’s training base at Balakot.

The inauguration of ammunition manufacturing facilities was led by Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande, Central Command Chief Lieutenant General N S Raja Subramani, and officials from the Ministry of Defence and Government of UP.

According to Adani Defence, the 500-acre facility in Kanpur is set to become one of Asia’s largest integrated ammunition manufacturing complexes. It will produce high-quality small, medium, and large-calibre ammunition for the armed forces, paramilitary forces, and police.

The facility has started rolling out small-calibre ammunition, starting with 150 million rounds estimated at 25 per cent of India’s annual requirement.

Speaking on the occasion, Adityanath said, “Adani Defence has made the largest investment in the UP defence corridor… It is encouraging to see the commencement of operations within 18 months of allocating land.”

Emphasising the need for self-reliance in ammunition, General Pande said, “Recent geopolitical events have re-emphasised the need for a reliable supply from internal sources for ammunition in preparedness for a long-drawn conflict. Such large investments and the willingness of Adani Defence to indigenise critical technologies have built confidence in the users to depend on the Indian private industry for strategic military supplies. This complex is a major milestone in India’s journey towards self-reliance in the defence sector.”

Adani Defence is the flagship defence company of Adani Group. An industry 4.0 facility, its extensive automation ensures the highest standards in quality, safety, and reliability using artificial intelligence and data analytics, the company claims.

Further, being a Petroleum & Explosives Safety Organization-certified complex, it will also house explosive handling facilities for missiles and precision-guided munitions.