Andhra Pradesh inks 9 MoUs for Rs 4,100 crore space-defence push

Visakhapatnam: Engines in Sri Sathya Sai, satellites in Vizag, missiles in Nellore - Andhra Pradesh has set out a space-and-defence map to woo investors with curated incentives.

At the 31st CII Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam on 12-13 November 2026, the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board signed nine MoUs covering rocket engines and test beds, satellites, missiles, explosives, aerospace manufacturing, flight training and heliports. Eight of them propose investments totalling Rs 4,100 crore and 6,865 direct jobs on about 1,472 acres in Sri Sathya Sai, Tirupati, Nellore and Visakhapatnam. The ninth is a five-year strategic partnership with Pawan Hans to develop and operate heliports across the State.

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They run from rocket-engine test beds in Sri Sathya Sai district to a satellite laboratory in the host city and a missile and energetics cluster in Nellore.

In Sri Sathya Sai district, on the Hyderabad-Bengaluru corridor, Astrobase Space Technologies proposes to invest Rs 800 crore to expand its commercial rocket-engine test facility at Thimmasamudram. The expansion adds stage testing and reusability validation, with 500 direct jobs by December 2030 on 339 acres. Bellatrix Aerospace, whose MoU was signed by CEO Rohan M Ganapathy on 13 November, plans an Advanced Programs Centre at Lepakshi for satellites and propulsion, worth Rs 550 crore with 565 jobs. Vision Aeroglobal Enterprises, led by Group Chairman Mukesh G Gupta, proposes VISION JATAYU, a Rs 500 crore aerospace manufacturing project at Konduru that is expected to employ 2,000 people by October 2028. Nearby, Knots Aerospace plans the Ascendia Flight Training Organization, a Rs 100-crore project with 100 jobs.

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Tirupati district, close to Sriharikota and the State's proposed Space City, is where Hathor Rockets will build a rocket-engine manufacturing, testing and R&D at Routhusuramala. The Rs 250-crore project covers liquid engines for launch vehicles, in-space mobility and strategic defence, with 200 jobs by December 2031. In Visakhapatnam, XDLINX Space Labs, led by MD Rupesh Kumar Gandupalli, proposes a Rs 600-crore satellite development and manufacturing lab with 500 jobs on 10 acres.

Two MoUs point to a defence cluster at Duttalur in SPSR Nellore district. IG Defence, led by Founder and CEO Bodhisattwa Sanghapriya, proposes a Rs 500-crore missile development and manufacturing complex with 1,000 jobs by April 2028. SALVO Industries, led by Managing Director A Shyam Sunder Reddy, proposes Rs 800 crore for civil and defence explosives manufacturing with 2,000 jobs. Together they come to Rs 1,300 crore on 800 acres at one location.

The Pawan Hans MoU, led by the Andhra Pradesh Airports Development Corporation, covers project reports, development, and operation and maintenance of heliports across the State. The four space MoUs (Astrobase, Bellatrix, Hathor and XDLINX) total Rs 2,200 crore and 1,765 direct jobs.