Rajnath Singh’s Bold AMCA Defence Move Stuns India
India’s Defence Self-Reliance Gets Strong Andhra Pradesh Support
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Shri N Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation stones for several major defence and aerospace projects in Andhra Pradesh on May 15, 2026. The event took place in Puttaparthi in the Sri Satya Sai district and marked one of the biggest defence manufacturing pushes in southern India in recent years.
The projects include the Core Integration and Flight Testing Centre for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), a Naval Systems Manufacturing Facility, a Defence Energetics Facility, an Ammunition and Electric Fuses Plant, and a new Drone City in Kurnool. Officials believe these projects could change Andhra Pradesh into a major defence and aerospace hub over the next decade.
The AMCA project has drawn the most attention. India’s AMCA is a fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft being developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency under DRDO. Experts in defence journals and aerospace reports have called it India’s most ambitious fighter aircraft programme so far. Countries such as the United States, Russia and China already operate or test fifth-generation stealth aircraft, and India now wants to join that group with an indigenous platform.
The new testing centre at Puttaparthi is expected to play a key role in aircraft assembly, integration and flight trials. Reports from defence analysts suggest that Andhra Pradesh was selected because of the availability of large land parcels and growing industrial infrastructure. The state government had reportedly allocated nearly 600 acres for the project earlier this month.
Shri Rajnath Singh said the total AMCA programme would cost around Rs 15,000 crore, while the new testing centre itself would be built at a cost of nearly Rs 2,000 crore. Defence experts believe the project could help India reduce its long-term dependence on imported fighter aircraft and technologies.
Industry reports also suggest that several private companies, including large Indian engineering firms, are showing interest in participating in the AMCA programme. This reflects the government’s growing push towards private sector involvement in defence manufacturing.
Another major project announced was Bharat Dynamics Limited’s Naval Systems Manufacturing Facility in Anakapalli district. The facility will manufacture advanced underwater systems, autonomous underwater vehicles and next-generation torpedoes. Defence observers have noted that underwater warfare technology is becoming increasingly important due to rising maritime tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.
India has been trying to strengthen its naval capabilities as China expands its presence across the Indian Ocean. Security experts often point out that self-reliance in underwater defence systems is important because many critical parts are still imported from foreign suppliers. The new facility is expected to help reduce those imports over time.
The Defence Energetics Facility by Agneyastra Energetics Limited and the Ammunition and Electric Fuses Plant by HFCL Limited are also expected to support India’s future military preparedness. Military analysts have repeatedly highlighted the importance of strong domestic ammunition production after several global conflicts exposed supply chain weaknesses worldwide.
The focus on drone manufacturing also reflects changing warfare trends. During recent conflicts in Eastern Europe and West Asia, drones have become one of the most effective and low-cost military tools. Defence experts say even small drones are now used for surveillance, logistics and precision strikes.
Eight drone companies have now joined together to build a Drone City in Kurnool. Officials believe the cluster could help India become a stronger exporter of drone technology in the future. Shri Rajnath Singh compared the future project to famous industrial centres such as Surat and Bengaluru and said Kurnool could become India’s “Drone Hub”.
The Raksha Mantri also stressed that India’s defence production has grown sharply over the last decade. Government figures show defence production has touched nearly Rs 1.54 lakh crore, compared to around Rs 46,000 crore in 2014. Defence exports have also increased strongly and recently crossed Rs 38,000 crore.
Experts say this growth has been driven by policies promoting indigenous manufacturing, easier defence licensing, private investment and higher export support. Defence economists have also noted that India is slowly moving from being one of the world’s largest arms importers to a global supplier.
Shri Rajnath Singh said the public-private partnership model has helped transform defence manufacturing into a national movement. He added that innovators, start-ups, MSMEs and large industries are all contributing to national security today.
The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister also used the occasion to pitch the state as a future industrial and innovation centre. Shri Naidu urged companies to “Design-in-Andhra Pradesh, Make-in-Andhra Pradesh, lead-from-Andhra Pradesh”. He said the state’s future growth would depend on innovation, infrastructure and industrialisation.
The projects announced in Andhra Pradesh are expected to generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs. Local engineering colleges, ITIs and technical institutes are also expected to benefit as demand for skilled workers rises in aerospace, electronics, drone systems and advanced manufacturing.
For India, the event was about more than factories and investments. It also showed how defence manufacturing is becoming closely linked with technology, employment, industrial growth and long-term national security.
