Aligarh most sought-after place in UP Defence Corridor
Among the six nodes in Defence Corridor across Uttar Pradesh, Aligarh due to its proximity to New Delhi has emerged as a favourite destination to set up defence units
Among the six nodes in Defence Corridor across Uttar Pradesh, Aligarh due to its proximity to New Delhi has emerged as a favourite destination to set up defence units with maximum 24 companies allotted land in this corridor. The industrial town of Kanpur ranks first in total land allotment with 210 hectares allocated to five companies.
The UP Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), which is spearheading the project in the state, has approved over 2,097 hectares of land across six nodes of UP Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC)—Aligarh, Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi, Chitrakoot and Agra.
According to the UPEIDA, in Jhansi, 17 companies have been allotted 571 hectares, and 16 companies in Lucknow have received more than 131 hectares of land. The land allotment process is set to begin soon in Chitrakoot, Aligarh Phase-2, and the Agra node.
UPEIDA additional CEO HP Shahi said the defence corridor has been strategically aligned with initiatives like ‘One District, One Product’ and ‘Make in India’.
He reiterated that the corridor will not only transform the state’s industrial landscape but also position India as a global defence manufacturing hub. According to Shahi, a total of 197 MoUs have been signed for the defence corridor so far, including 172 industrial MoUs. Together, they represent a proposed investment of ₹34,844.49 crore and the potential to generate 52,658 jobs.
In the upcoming phase, over 110 additional MoUs are on track, with combined investment possibilities of more than ₹22,847 crore and an estimated 38,000 new jobs. A major milestone has already been achieved with the establishment of the BrahMos missile manufacturing unit in the Lucknow node.
Uttar Pradesh is now competing with states like Gujarat and Tamil Nadu in defence production. More major announcements are expected in the coming months, said UPEIDA. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the UP Defence Corridor project on November 21, 2021 in Jhansi.
