RInfra to invest Rs 10,000 crore in Maharashtra defence project

The Anil Ambani family-owned Reliance Infrastructure plans to invest Rs 10,000 crore over the next decade to establish the largest integrated facility for manufacturing explosives, ammunition, and small arms in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra. The company has been allocated 1,000 acres in the Watad industrial area for the development of the Dhirubhai Ambani Defence City (DADC), the company said in a statement.

The new export-oriented project will be the largest greenfield defence initiative in India undertaken by a private sector company, the statement said. Additionally, through its subsidiaries, Reliance Infrastructure has exported defence equipment valued at over Rs 1,000 crore.

Reliance Infrastructure’s wholly owned subsidiaries, Jai Armaments and Reliance Defence, hold a licence from the Indian government to manufacture arms and ammunition. The proposed projects anticipate potential joint ventures with up to six leading global defence companies, the company said without revealing the names of the companies.

The ammunition range will encompass small, medium, and large-calibre munitions, as well as terminally guided munitions (TGM). The small arms portfolio will focus on export markets, catering to both civilian and military applications.

Reliance Infrastructure has already established successful joint ventures at MIHAN in Nagpur, Maharashtra, with two prominent global defence firms—Dassault Aviation and Thales of France. Both companies export their entire production to overseas markets.