VIJAYAWADA: Sri Sathya Sai district of Andhra Pradesh has officially entered India’s aerospace map with the foundation stone laid on May 15, 2026 for the Integration and Flight Testing Complex of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project, spearheaded by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) under DRDO.
The ceremony capped nearly two years of sustained lobbying and meticulous groundwork by the Andhra Pradesh Government, which began its efforts in June 2024 amid stiff competition from several States, each vying for the Rs 1 lakh crore investment potential and the manufacturing of 140 advanced fighter aircraft.
The breakthrough was achieved through a series of decisive interventions. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu met Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in May 2025, formally requesting a Defence Corridor and pressing for the AMCA project’s allocation to Andhra Pradesh.
Letters in May and September 2025 reinforced the demand, while the Industry Minister followed up with direct engagements. By October 2025, ADA teams inspected the proposed site near Puttaparthi airstrip, and State officials assured DRDO leadership of full facilitation.
The momentum accelerated in April 2026, when the State submitted an Expression of Interest on the 17th, followed by a detailed proposal on the 24th. Within days, the Defence R&D Secretary and DRDO Chairman accorded in-principle approval, and a joint inspection confirmed the suitability of land parcels.
On April 30, the State Cabinet cleared the allotment of 150 acres for flight testing, 200 acres for township development, and 300 acres for manufacturing activity, alongside commitments for runway augmentation and airspace coordination.
GO was issued on May 6, and by May 11, joint teams from the Ministry of Defence, ADA, and the State finalised requirements. The foundation stone was laid on May 15, with 100 acres already handed over to ADA.
Two days later, details emerged on how Andhra Pradesh ultimately outclassed rival States like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. According to highly placed sources, the critical deciding factor was the State’s ability to unlock 2,000 acres of unencumbered land banks, a structural advantage that competing corridors could not match due to acquisition delays and population density.
Officials attribute success to execution of ‘whole-of-government approach’
Andhra Pradesh’s model included an immediate free handover of 350 acres, with 100 acres transferred on the eve of the foundation laying ceremony, and the remaining 250 acres slated for transition within 30 days.
An additional 300 acres were earmarked for private aerospace partners, ensuring long-term manufacturing depth. The 2,000-acre master plan mapped vacant land on the southern and western flanks of Puttaparthi, guaranteeing future expansion for subsequent defence project proposals.
The Puttaparthi ecosystem further strengthened the case. The existing airstrip, directly interfacing with defence facilities, is slated for extension to 10,000 feet, enabling high-performance military flight tests and heavy Air Force transport mandates.
Its location — just two hours from Bengaluru — offers seamless transit for command personnel, avoiding congested detours faced in other border zones.
Strategically, the blueprint replicates the HAL Airport Cluster model in Bengaluru, but on a larger scale.
Plans include dedicated footprints for the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS), the Indian Air Force, and ADA/DRDO labs, creating a co-located defence ecosystem where prototypes can move directly from assembly hangars to flight-testing strips.
Officials describe the achievement as a textbook execution of a “whole-of-government approach.” Political leadership ensured immediate Cabinet approvals and free land assets, while departments such as Infrastructure & Industrial (I&I), APADCL, and Roads & Buildings coordinated seamlessly with MoCA and defence teams.
Ground-level confidence was maintained with zero public objections, aided by voluntary support from local farmers who saw the aerospace city as a transformative opportunity. Senior executives also engaged directly with the private trust managing the airstrip and securing clearances.
What began as a proposal in 2025 has now crystallised into a landmark reality in 2026, positioning AP as India’s newest aerospace hub. With the AMCA project anchored the State has not only secured a multi-billion-dollar defence investment but also laid the foundation for a permanently expanding ecosystem that will strengthen India’s march toward technological sovereignty in aviation.