Uttar Pradesh boosts defence industry with military hardware test bed

The Uttar Pradesh government is setting up a state-of-the-art military hardware testing facility in Lucknow, which would be a first of its kind in the state and only the second in India.

 

This move aims to strengthen the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC) as well as the country’s defence manufacturing sector.

 

The facility will be developed under the Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS) by a special purpose vehicle (SPV) called Advanced Material (Defence) Testing Foundation (AMDTF). The state government has approved free land for the project. Launched by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), DTIS is designed to promote domestic aerospace and defence (A&D) manufacturing by establishing advanced testing infrastructure in partnership with private companies.

 

India aims to double its annual A&D production to $25 billion and exports to $5 billion by 2025-26. Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government has set a target of attracting ₹50,000 crore in A&D investments.

 

The UPDIC has secured ₹30,000 crore in investments and spans six nodes — Aligarh, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Chitrakoot, and Jhansi. Major investors include Bharat Dynamics in Jhansi, Adani Defence System and Technology in Kanpur, and DRDO-BrahMos Aerospace in Lucknow.

 

UP Infrastructure and Industrial Development Principal Secretary Alok Kumar said the testing facility would enhance India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem and attract more private investments. A senior government official said the UPDIC was key to India’s ambition of becoming a global defence manufacturing hub.

The UP government has earmarked nearly 5,000 hectares for UPDIC, with over 1,500 hectares already acquired by the Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority.

 

Indo-American Chamber of Commerce Chairman Mukesh Singh said: “The certification protocol will enhance the market potential of defence hardware for both domestic and overseas players. This will also create employment opportunities for the local workforce.”