Amaravati: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will lay the foundation stone for the ₹1 lakh crore fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft facility near Puttaparthi in Sri Sathya Sai district on May 15.
The initiative follows his meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. He had requested for establishing Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) manufacturing centre in the state.
Around 140 Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft are proposed to be manufactured at the facility. The project is being spearheaded by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, with design, testing, and module development to be carried out by the Aeronautical Development Agency in Bengaluru.
The modules will then be transported to Puttaparthi, where final assembly and ground testing of the aircraft will take place.
The state government has allotted 600 acres of land to DRDO for setting up a flight testing complex, production units, and residential facilities for scientists. The project will be developed under a public-private partnership model led by ADA.
Leading private sector firms such as Tata Advanced Systems Limited, Larsen & Toubro, and Bharat Forge are expected to collaborate on the development and manufacturing of the AMCA.
In addition, the government plans to allocate another 400 acres nearby to support ancillary units associated with the project, further strengthening the region's position as a defence and aerospace manufacturing hub.