Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, India is poised to enhance its military edge with a significant boost to its strategic capabilities. In a landmark development, production of the world’s most powerful supersonic cruise missile, BrahMos, is set to begin in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh.

The initiative is a key part of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s ambitious Defence Industrial Corridor, with the Lucknow node playing a pivotal role in strengthening India’s self-reliance in defence manufacturing.

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The BrahMos missile manufacturing unit, established with an investment of ₹300 crore by BrahMos Aerospace, will be officially inaugurated on May 11, marking a historic milestone in the country’s defence journey.

Officials said on Thursday that the Uttar Pradesh government had provided 80 hectares of land free of cost in December 2021. The rapid completion of the plant—from construction to the start of production in just 3.5 years—reflects the state’s strong commitment to national security.

Shrihari Pratap Shahi, Additional CEO of the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), stated that the state government not only provided the land but also actively monitored the project’s progress. The Lucknow node will eventually produce additional defence equipment, giving the city and the state a new identity in the national security landscape.

Establishing the BrahMos unit in Uttar Pradesh is a major strategic move, strengthening India’s military readiness while positioning the state as a significant contributor to defence-led development.

This will be the first advanced, hi-tech missile manufacturing facility of its kind in Uttar Pradesh. It is expected to stimulate growth in the aerospace industry and bring cutting-edge manufacturing technologies to the region.

The BrahMos project will also generate significant employment opportunities—directly employing around 500 engineers and technicians, and indirectly benefiting thousands of skilled, semi-skilled, and general workers. Ancillary industries supporting the unit will further expand job creation.

BrahMos Aerospace is a joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s JSC MIC NPO Mashinostroyenia (NPOM). The venture, with 50.5% Indian and 49.5% Russian ownership, was the first of its kind involving a foreign government in India’s defence sector.

Alongside the BrahMos facility, the Uttar Pradesh government has allocated 117.35 hectares of land to 12 other defence companies under the Defence Industrial Corridor. Among these, Aeroloy Technologies has received 20 hectares, where the first phase of a ₹320 crore investment has been completed.

These projects are expected to create over 3,000 jobs, transforming Lucknow into a key hub for the production of missiles, ammunition, drones, small arms, and defence packaging, and strengthening India’s pursuit of self-reliance in defence manufacturing.