Foundation to be laid for aerospace, defence project at Puttaparti on Friday

Rayalaseema is set to mark its presence in the defence sector with the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project to be taken up at Puttaparti in Sri Sathya Sai district.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, along with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, will lay the foundation stone for the prestigious project on Friday. Minister Nara Lokesh will also participate.

The foundation stone will be laid for an Aircraft Integration & Flight Testing Centre of Aeronautical Development Agency. This facility for aircraft integration, testing, validation and certification would accelerate the development of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme.

The Defence Minister will also lay the foundation stone for a new state-of-the-art Naval Systems Manufacturing Facility of Bharat Dynamics Limited at T. Sirasapalli village in Anakapalli district. The complex would be set-up to meet the growing requirements of advanced underwater weapon systems and naval combat systems.

In addition, grounding ceremonies will be held for Defence Energetics Facility of Agneyastra Energetics Limited (Subsidiary of Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited); Ammunition & Electric Fuzes Plant of HFCL Limited at Madakasira, Sri Satya Sai District; and an array of projects for Drone City at Kurnool. Various MoUs with the Government of Andhra Pradesh are also expected to be signed.

The AMCA project, to be executed jointly by the Aeronautical Development Agency and the DRDO, will come up on 650 acres with an outlay of ₹15,803 crore. It will be India's first 5th generation stealth multi-role fighter aircraft programme, featuring stealth technology, twin-engine super cruise capability and advanced avionics. Both development and testing of the aircraft will be done at Puttaparthi.

The project is expected to create direct employment for about 7,500 people. Ancillary units linked to the project could bring in investments of up to ₹1 lakh crore, for which the government has earmarked 400 acres.

Along with AMCA, foundation stones will be laid for four defence projects and eight drone projects with a combined investment of ₹4,145 crore, providing jobs to 6,071 people.

Of these, two projects will come up at Madakasira, and one each at Donakonda and Nellore. The eight drone projects will be located in the upcoming 'Drone City' in Kurnool district, aimed at building a leading drone ecosystem in the country.

The defence projects are: Kalyani Strategic Systems Ltd., ₹1,430 crore, 565 jobs; Bharat Dynamics Ltd., ₹489 crore, 500 jobs; HFCL, ₹1,040 crore, 870 jobs; and Premier Explosives, ₹500 crore, 2,050 jobs.

The drone projects are: Algobotics Pvt. Ltd., ₹34 crore, 52 jobs; Drogo Drones Pvt. Ltd., ₹255 crore, 850 jobs; Drone Lab Technologies, ₹5 crore, 14 jobs; H C Robotics, ₹100 crore, 500 jobs; Sense Image Technologies, ₹68 crore, 45 jobs; Air Pace Industries, ₹100 crore, 150 jobs; JDK Fly Drone World, ₹114 crore, 350 jobs; and Latric Aero Space, ₹10 crore, 125 jobs.

According to the Chief Minister's itinerary, Chandrababu Naidu will leave his Undavalli camp office at 8.15 a.m. and reach Puttaparthi airport by 9.45 a.m. He will arrive at the venue at 10.15 a.m. and participate in the foundation-laying ceremony with Rajnath Singh till 12.30 p.m. He will return to Amaravati by 2.20 p.m.