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Science & Technology May 15, 2026 3 min read Daily brief · #2 of 56

Rajnath, CM Naidu lay stone for AMCA project in Andhra, minister calls it 'history chapter in defence history'; 8 cos to set up 'Drone City' in Kurnool

The foundation stone for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Aircraft Integration and Flight Testing Centre was laid at Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, o...

GS2 (Governance Defence Procurement) GS3 (Defence Industry Make in India)

What Happened

  • The foundation stone for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Aircraft Integration and Flight Testing Centre was laid at Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, on May 15, 2026.
  • The project spans nearly 650 acres and involves an outlay of approximately ₹16,000 crore for a development hub run by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA).
  • The facility will integrate, test, validate, and certify the AMCA prototype, with the prototype rollout targeted for late 2026 or early 2027 and first flight planned for 2028.
  • Eight drone manufacturing companies announced plans to establish a dedicated drone city in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, as part of the same defence industrial cluster initiative.
  • Additional projects announced included a naval systems manufacturing facility of Bharat Dynamics Limited in Anakapalli district, a defence energetics plant of Agneyastra Energetics Limited, and an ammunition and electric fuze plant of HFCL Limited at Madakasira.

Static Topic Bridges

Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme

AMCA is India's indigenous fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft programme, initiated in 2010 under the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) under the Department of Defence Research and Development (DRDO). It is a twin-engine, single-seat aircraft of approximately 25-tonne class designed for deep penetration, stealth operations, and high-speed agility. Key fifth-generation characteristics include internal weapons bays, radar-absorbent materials, supercruise capability, and advanced avionics with sensor fusion.

  • The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved ₹15,000 crore for Full-Scale Engineering Development (FSED) in March 2024.
  • The AMCA Programme Execution Model, approved in May 2025, introduces a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), moving beyond sole reliance on Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
  • ADA (design lead), HAL, IAF, and a private sector strategic partner collaborate under this SPV model.
  • Induction into the Indian Air Force is targeted for around 2034.

Connection to this news: The Puttaparthi facility will host the integration and flight-testing phase of the AMCA, marking the transition of the programme from design into prototype construction and testing.

Defence Acquisition Procedure and DAC/CCS Approvals

India's defence procurement follows the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP), with the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) — chaired by the Defence Minister — as the apex body for procurement approvals. Major projects such as AMCA require DAC acceptance of necessity (AoN) followed by Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) financial approval for full-scale development.

  • DAP 2020 introduced "Atmanirbhar Bharat" categories prioritising indigenous procurement: Make-I, Make-II, Buy (Indian-IDDM), Buy and Make (Indian).
  • The IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) category mandates at least 50% indigenous content.
  • CCS is chaired by the Prime Minister and includes the Finance Minister, Home Minister, and Defence Minister.

Connection to this news: The AMCA FSED (Full-Scale Engineering Development) received CCS approval in 2024, which authorised the ₹15,000–16,000 crore investment now being physically instantiated at Puttaparthi.

Drone Manufacturing and Make in India in Defence

India's drone ecosystem is supported by the Drone Rules 2021, the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Drones (2021 — ₹120 crore outlay), and the Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy (DPEPP) 2020 which targets defence exports of ₹35,000 crore by 2025. iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence) under DISC (Defence India Start-up Challenge) funds startups for drone and UAV development.

  • India became the world's largest buyer of military drones before 2020; policy now pivots to indigenous manufacturing.
  • Defence Industrial Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu (and now Andhra Pradesh) form the backbone of this cluster strategy.
  • Kurnool's drone city aligns with the Andhra Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor.

Connection to this news: The eight drone companies establishing operations in Kurnool represent a concrete output of the Andhra Pradesh Defence Corridor policy, which seeks to attract defence manufacturing investment to replace import dependency.

Key Facts & Data

  • AMCA facility location: Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh
  • Project area: ~650 acres
  • Investment outlay: ~₹16,000 crore (AMCA hub); CCS FSED approval: ₹15,000 crore (March 2024)
  • Drone city location: Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh
  • AMCA class: 25-tonne, twin-engine, fifth-generation stealth fighter
  • AMCA prototype rollout target: late 2026 / early 2027; first flight: 2028; induction: ~2034
  • AMCA programme lead agency: Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA)
  • SPV model approval: May 2025
  • BDL facility: Anakapalli district, Andhra Pradesh
  • PLI Scheme for Drones outlay: ₹120 crore (approved 2021)
  • Employment expected from AMCA hub: ~7,500 persons
On this page
  1. What Happened
  2. Static Topic Bridges
  3. Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Programme
  4. Defence Acquisition Procedure and DAC/CCS Approvals
  5. Drone Manufacturing and Make in India in Defence
  6. Key Facts & Data
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