Amid evolving geopolitical dynamics and strained relations with Pakistan, India is proactively addressing its strategic and defence requirements.

Uttar Pradesh is set to play a pivotal role in this national mission through the ambitious UP Defence Industrial Corridor, a visionary initiative of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. This project is not only propelling India toward self-reliance in defence production, but is also laying a robust foundation for large-scale employment generation within the state.

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Officials here on Friday said so far, the corridor has attracted investment commitments worth approximately Rs 30,000 crore through 170 MoUs, potentially creating around 50,000 employment opportunities. Land has been leased to 57 investors at various stages of setting up production units, with actual investments totalling Rs 9,462.8 crore. These units are expected to create 13,736 direct jobs. Since the first lease in June 2021, the Defence Industrial Corridor has witnessed rapid industrial growth over the past four years.

The UP Defence Corridor is boosting the state’s economy and playing a critical role in reducing India’s dependence on defence imports. The industries being established will manufacture cutting-edge military equipment to meet the needs of the Indian Armed Forces.

The UP government is committed to further expanding investment and job creation across all six designated nodes of the corridor. Efforts to accelerate land allocation and industrial development are underway, particularly in the Agra and Chitrakoot nodes.

This corridor is helping Uttar Pradesh emerge as a significant industrial and defence manufacturing hub, opening up new career avenues for thousands of youth. It also marks a concrete step towards realising the national visions of ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.

The UP Defence Industrial Corridor spans six nodes — Lucknow, Aligarh, Kanpur, Jhansi, Agra, and Chitrakoot — each explicitly developed for strategic defence production.