Naidu aims to make Andhra a defence manufacturing hub
The chief of the Telugu Desam Party — a key member of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) — also emphasised that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' campaign significantly aided the country during the armed conflict with Pakistan in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed.
The state's plans align with the Viksit Bharat initiative, the chief minister said, and expressed the state's readiness to contribute to the country's defence ecosystem with its 'strong infrastructure base, skilled workforce, and proactive policy environment'.
'Operation Sindoor has increased trust in our defence forces. We have requested a Defence and Research Development Organisation (DRDO) Centre of Excellence at IIT Tirupati and proposed the creation of a common storage policy for ammunition, along with the necessary infrastructure for storage, testing, and a streamlined licensing framework,' Naidu stated.
During his meeting with Singh, the CM has presented a series of plans including the development of a defence cluster between Jaggayyapet and Donakonda on 6,000 acres of land for the establishment of missile and ammunition production units.
'Similarly, in the Lepakshi–Madakasira region, with 10,000 acres available, we proposed setting up facilities for military and civil aircraft manufacturing, along with electronics production. The defence minister responded positively to the idea of building a full-fledged aerospace ecosystem,' he said.
Additionally, the state government requested the establishment of naval equipment production and weapon testing facilities in the Visakhapatnam-Anakapalli region, Naidu said.
The government has also proposed to develop units focussed on military drones, robotics and advance defence components in 4,000 acres of land at Orvakal in Kurnool district, he added.
The CM also met Union finance minister Nirmala Sitaraman and submitted a proposal seeking central support for the Polavaram-Banakacherla river linkage project, which aims to divert surplus water from the Godavari River to Krishna basin to provide irrigation in the water-scarce areas in south-central Andhra Pradesh.
Naidu also met Union minister for new and renewable Energy Prahlad Joshi and submitted a proposal seeking rooftop solar capacity allocations under the PM Surya Ghar-Muft Bijli Yojana.
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