The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile production unit and several key military projects have been officially inaugurated in Lucknow, marking a major milestone for India’s defence manufacturing sector. 

The new BrahMos facility, situated within the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor, was inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh via virtual link, with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attending the event in person.

This state-of-the-art unit, constructed at a cost of ₹300 crore, is spread over 80 hectares of land provided free of cost by the Uttar Pradesh government. It is designed to manufacture between 80 and 100 BrahMos missiles annually, with plans to scale up production to 100–150 next-generation variants in the future.

The BrahMos missile, developed through a joint venture between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya, is recognised as one of the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missiles. It boasts a range of 290 to 400 km and a top speed of Mach 2.8.

The missile’s versatility allows it to be launched from land, sea, or air platforms, and its “fire and forget” guidance system enhances its precision and survivability on the battlefield. The Lucknow unit will not only assemble and test current BrahMos missiles but will also produce lighter, next-generation variants, significantly boosting India’s precision-strike capabilities across multiple domains.

Alongside the missile production unit, the BrahMos Aerospace Integration and Testing Facility was also inaugurated. This facility will handle the crucial tasks of assembling and testing missile systems, ensuring the reliability and effectiveness of the weapons before deployment.

Additionally, the event saw the launch of other strategic projects, including the Titanium and Super Alloys Materials Plant (Strategic Materials Technology Complex), which will produce advanced materials for aerospace and defence applications, and the laying of the foundation stone for the Defence Testing Infrastructure System (DTIS), aimed at certifying and testing a broad range of defence equipment.

The BrahMos project is expected to attract fresh investments of up to ₹10,000 crore over the next four to five years, further establishing Uttar Pradesh as a major hub for defence manufacturing and innovation. The facility is not only intended to meet domestic military requirements but will also cater to export orders, with countries like the Philippines and Indonesia identified as future recipients of the BrahMos missile system.

The inauguration of these projects in Lucknow is a significant step toward making India self-reliant in defence production, in line with the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) vision. It also positions Uttar Pradesh as the second state after Tamil Nadu to host a Defence Industrial Corridor, with six key nodes-Lucknow, Kanpur, Aligarh, Agra, Jhansi, and Chitrakoot-driving the region’s transformation into a defence manufacturing powerhouse.

The successful completion and operationalisation of the BrahMos unit in just three and a half years underscores the government’s commitment to strengthening India’s defence capabilities and industrial base amid evolving regional security challenges.

Agencies