Uttar Pradesh is strengthening its presence in the defence sector, with Kanpur emerging as a major manufacturing centre for ammunition, small arms and artillery-related systems under the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor.
The expansion of defence manufacturing in Kanpur is being driven by rising investment, increasing production capacity and the use of advanced technology. The developments are also aimed at reducing dependence on imports and strengthening the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
A special visit was organised at the Adani Defence & Aerospace ammunition manufacturing facility in Kanpur, where CEO Ashish Rajvanshi outlined the company's expansion plans and growing defence manufacturing capabilities.
An expansion of the facility has been proposed across approximately 250 acres in the Hathipur area of Kanpur.
According to Rajvanshi, around ₹2,000 crore will be invested in the proposed facility. The company has already invested nearly ₹4,000 crore in Kanpur and plans to invest another ₹4,000 crore over the next few years.
The expansion is expected to generate additional employment and further strengthen Kanpur's industrial and strategic role within the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor.
Around 2,000 skilled and unskilled employees currently work at the Adani Defence & Aerospace facility in Kanpur. The proposed expansion is expected to create further jobs in manufacturing, logistics and related activities in surrounding areas.
The Kanpur facility currently manufactures around 15 crore rounds of ammunition across various categories every year.
The company is working to increase this capacity to approximately 30 crore rounds by the end of the year. According to officials, the expansion is intended to meet India's ammunition requirements while reducing dependence on imports.
The facility manufactures and assembles different types of ammunition, including small-calibre rounds used in rifles and other small arms and large-calibre ammunition used in tanks and artillery systems.
Preparations are also underway to start manufacturing medium-calibre ammunition used in autocannons and similar weapon systems. According to the company's CEO, production of medium-calibre ammunition is expected to begin by 2027.
Adani Defence & Aerospace has also outlined plans to expand grenade production.
The company expects to reach an annual production capacity of 40 lakh grenade units by 2027. An additional capacity of 40 lakh units is planned to be added by 2029.
The company said the expansion would reduce India's dependence on imports and strengthen self-reliance in ammunition production.
Rajvanshi stressed the need for greater self-reliance in defence ammunition production.
"Operation Sindoor highlighted the need for India to develop its own capabilities. At that time, friendly countries were ready to support India, but they themselves were facing war-like situations. In such circumstances, there was also a possibility of delays in receiving ammunition-related assistance. This experience underlined the need to strengthen India's own defence manufacturing capability and 'Make in India'. We are moving rapidly towards achieving this."
Officials at the Kanpur facility also showcased several weapons during the visit.
They highlighted the indigenously developed Abhay Rifle, which is capable of firing both 5.56 mm and 9 mm ammunition, making it a unique weapon in its segment.
The Prahar Light Machine Gun was also showcased. Officials said it had received strong appreciation from the Indian Army, which has placed its largest order for the weapon.
Pistols, advanced rifles and machine guns were also displayed during the visit.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being used in the production process at the facility.
Officials said AI-based case-line inspection technology is used to check ammunition cases against prescribed standards. The technology automates the inspection process and helps ensure production quality and accuracy.
According to officials, the ammunition and artillery systems produced at the facility conform to NATO standards.
Officials said this helps ensure interoperability among related weapon systems and consistent performance. They also stated that ammunition manufactured by Adani Defence & Aerospace is witnessing growing demand from friendly countries.
