Uttar Pradesh govt to expand ambit of defence manufacturing corridor

With investor interest surging, Uttar Pradesh plans to expand its Defence Industrial Corridor beyond six nodes to accommodate new defence manufacturing projects

With the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC) gaining traction from investors, the state government is looking to expand the ambit of the mega project.

 

While UPDIC currently spans six nodes namely Lucknow, Kanpur, Jhansi, Aligarh, Agra and Chitrakoot, the state will now acquire land in the adjoining districts to cater the demand from investors.

 

According to a senior official, the nodal agency UP Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) will actively scout for land parcels in other districts if congruous land is not available in the six nodes.

 

“Moreover, if the investors demand land in other districts for a viable defence manufacturing project, then the government could also consider clubbing such projects in the UPDIC ambit,” he added.

 

For example, although Amethi district is not a node of the UPDIC, a joint-venture Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited has already started manufacturing Kalashnikov series’ AK-203 assault rifles in the industrial town of Korwa.

 

Similarly, Unnao district, which lies between Lucknow and Kanpur, is practically part of the overarching theme of the ambitious Corridor.

 

Talking to newspersons in Lucknow recently, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the hike in the defence sector allocation in the Union Budget 2026-27 would bolster the UPDIC and its bouquet of projects.

 

“A large number of defence projects have either been completed or currently underway in Uttar Pradesh including Adani Group, PTC and Bharat Dynamics,” he said.

 

So far, UPEIDA has signed nearly 200 memorandum of understanding (MoUs) with leading defence and aerospace companies for setting up production units in the UPDIC.

 

The defence projects pertain to drones, arms, ammunition, missiles, propellant systems, parachutes, defence textiles etc.

 

UPDIC is a critical part of the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) themes to reduce the country’s dependency on costly defence imports.

 

Major investors in the UPDIC include Adani Defence and Aerospace, BrahMos Aerospace, Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Tata Technologies, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) etc.

 

Lucknow-based BrahMos Aerospace is a joint venture between India’s DRDO and Russia’s NPOM to develop next generation supersonic missiles.

 

Nearly 62 UPDIC projects totalling ~12,500 crore have been allotted almost 1,000 hectares of land across the mega Corridor.

 

UPEIDA has already approved 2,100 hectares of land across the six nodes, while 1,600 hectares are currently available for allotment to industry.