India’s missile power is set to get a boost with a surface-to-air missile unit set to come up at a cost of Rs 30,000 crore at Ibrahimpatnam in Andhra Pradesh’s Rangareddy district. The foundation stone for the project by Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) was laid on Sunday.
The infrastructure for the project, spread over 630 acres, will be ready in three years’ time. Once ready, an estimated 6,000 missiles are expected to be produced at the unit. Moreover, missile production will go up as project capacity is expanded to keep up with the demand for missiles.
Project developer BDL’s turnover would go from Rs 1,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore once production begins at the surface-to-air missile defence project unit at Ibrahimpatnam.
The new unit will create 1,000 officer-level jobs. Minister of State for Defence Pallam Raju said manpower from educational institutions should be churned out as per industry requirements to enable the local population to benefit from the project and find employment at the unit.
Maj Gen Ravi Khetarpal (rtd), chairman and managing director of BDL, said the Ibrahimpatnam unit would be the company’s fourth manufacturing unit in Andhra and the fifth in the country. He said the Ibrahimpatnam project would kick off with an initial investment of Rs 2,500 crore.
India building 5th missile hub in Andhra Pradesh
