Defence corridor attracts ₹28,762 cr investments, 57 firms onboard: UPEIDA

Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the UP Investors Summit in Lucknow on February 21, 2018, the corridor spans six strategic nodes—Kanpur, Jhansi, Lucknow, Aligarh, Agra, and Chitrakoot—under the supervision of UPEIDA.

The Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC) has attracted investment proposals totalling ₹28,761.88 crore as of March 2025, according to a report by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA).

Out of 2,001.27 hectares identified for the project, 923.24 hectares have been allotted to 57 companies across the six locations. (Sourced)

Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the UP Investors Summit in Lucknow on February 21, 2018, the corridor spans six strategic nodes—Kanpur, Jhansi, Lucknow, Aligarh, Agra, and Chitrakoot—under the supervision of UPEIDA.

Out of 2,001.27 hectares identified for the project, 923.24 hectares have been allotted to 57 companies across the six locations. Several of these firms have already commenced production, UPEIDA said.

Adani Defence Systems and Technologies Ltd has invested ₹1,500 crore in Kanpur to set up South Asia’s largest integrated ammunition manufacturing facility. In Aligarh, Amitec Electronic Ltd and Werywin Defence Pvt Ltd have invested ₹330 crore and ₹65 crore respectively, and are operational with a focus on electronic warfare, satellite systems, and small arms.

In Kanpur, Adhunik Material and Sciences Pvt Ltd has invested ₹35 crore in defence textiles, while AR Polymers Pvt Ltd has committed ₹48 crore to produce ballistic-grade polymer materials.

The Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS), with an outlay of ₹400 crore, is being implemented to establish advanced testing centres in Kanpur and Lucknow.

Research and development efforts are being supported by centres of excellence at IIT Kanpur and IIT BHU. These centres are addressing critical R&D gaps, while the defence technology and test centre (DTTC) in Lucknow is supporting training and testing operations.

“The six strategic nodes of the defence corridor will not only strengthen India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem but also play a transformative role in driving economic development,” said Nand Gopal Gupta ‘Nandi’, minister for industrial development and investment promotion.

Node-Wise Investment proposed

Kanpur: ₹12,683.58 crore investment proposals, 210.60 hectares of allotted out of 222.86 hectares procured

Jhansi: ₹9,139.40 crore proposals; 531 hectares allotted out of 1,087.03 hectares procured.

Aligarh: ₹3,419.28 crore proposals; 64 hectares allotted in Phase 1 out of 87 hectares procured.

Lucknow: ₹2,611.19 crore proposals; 117.5 hectares allotted in Phase 1 out of 160.41 hectares procured.

Agra: ₹709 crore proposals; 41 hectares (Phase 1) and 81.68 hectares (Phase 2) procured.

Chitrakoot: ₹180 crore proposals; 102 hectares (Phase 1) and 226 hectares (Phase 2) procured.

Prominent investments

Jhansi: Global Engineers Ltd is setting up a facility in Jhansi with an investment of ₹2,254 crore. The unit will manufacture nitrocellulose, single-base propellants, and allied defence products.

Aligarh: Ancor Research Labs has committed ₹550 crore for a drone and electronic warfare equipment manufacturing plant. The facility is expected to become operational by mid-2026.

Lucknow: Aerolloy Technologies Ltd is nearing completion of its ₹320 crore titanium castings unit. Additionally, BrahMos Aerospace has invested ₹300 crore to establish a production unit for BrahMos missile systems in the city.