NELLORE: Five defence and aerospace companies are set to establish manufacturing facilities across 2,500 acres in Duttalur mandal of Udayagiri Assembly constituency, bringing investments worth Rs 2,245 crore and generating over 3,200 jobs in one of Nellore district’s most backward upland regions.
The State government has fast-tracked the ammunition and missile manufacturing corridor under GO 68, positioning the drought-prone constituency as a strategic node in India’s defence production network.
Hyderabad-based Premier Explosives Limited (PEL), a supplier of solid propellants for India’s Akash and Astra missile programmes, will anchor the cluster with a Rs 500-crore integrated explosives facility spread across 450 acres.
The phased project will begin with medium-calibre ammunition and pyrotechnic devices before progressing to bomb-filling operations, rocket motor assembly and eventually a TNT manufacturing unit, creating around 2,050 jobs.
Defence corridor to be lifeline for Udayagiri
“The corridor will advance the Centre’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative while providing an economic lifeline to Udayagiri, an upland region long battered by recurring droughts and limited livelihood opportunities. CM N Chandrababu Naidu has pushed for large-scale industrial investment in the constituency,” said Nellore MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy.
Gurugram-based Anadrone Systems will invest Rs 221 crore across 350 acres near Papampalle village to manufacture tactical unmanned aerial systems, including its ‘Abhay’ anti-radar decoy swarm drones, large-calibre warheads and electronic fuse-filling systems for the Indian armed forces.
The cluster’s electronics and defence systems segment will be led by Ananth Technologies Limited (ATL), founded by former ISRO scientist Dr Subba Rao Pavuluri, which has proposed a Rs 1,000-crore defence electronics facility on 300 acres. Precision engineering firm Aditya Precitech Private Limited plans a Rs 500-crore unit on 250 acres to manufacture advanced components for major defence public sector enterprises.
RR Industries, associated with ISRO and DRDO projects, will set up a Rs 25-crore aerospace composites and rocket motor casing unit. “The State government’s approach has attracted investments from leading aerospace and defence companies. The proposed cluster will manufacture a wide range of products. IT Minister Nara Lokesh has been keen on industrial development in the segment,” said Udayagiri MLA K Suresh.
District Collector Himanshu Shukla said the cluster would manufacture products ranging from missile propellants to combat drones.
Surendra Kumar Devarapati