Investment proposals worth over ₹35,000 crore are getting utilised on the ground in the Uttar Pradesh’s six defence industrial corridors spread across Lucknow, Kanpur, Jhansi, Agra, Aligarh and Chitrakoot, said state Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday.
The CM’s assertion came during his address at the closing ceremony of the three-day NorthTech Symposium held at Prayagraj, UP. This adds to ₹12,000 crore worth projects which have already been seeded till January this year in one of the two defence industrial corridor -- the other being in Tamil Nadu.
“The state government has also created a large land bank. Through the defence and aerospace policy, incentives are being provided to investors willing to invest,” Yogi Adityanath said.
Hub For Arms
Sharing region specific programmes, the chief minister said Aligarh has evolved into a hub for small arms, defence equipment and military supplies. On the other hand, Kanpur -- traditionally known as the Manchester of the East -- is emerging as a centre for ammunition, missiles, defence textiles and protective gear.
“Lucknow has been focused on BrahMos missiles and heavy defence manufacturing. Chitrakoot and Agra are being developed for precision engineering in aerospace and defence,” he said before a gathering of senior armed forces personnel, defence industry representatives, other officials and experts.
According to the CM, to enhance the capabilities of the armed forces, manufacturing of artillery shells, drones, bulletproof jackets and advanced communication systems is being undertaken in the defence corridors.
Drone Manufacturing
“The required ecosystem for defence manufacturing corridors exists in Uttar Pradesh. The state has 56 per cent skilled manpower. There is also a strong base of MSMEs, with 96 lakh units already operational across sectors ranging from hardware to leather and textiles,” he said.
Adityanath said the government is working with Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur to develop a Centre of Excellence for drones.
Start-up Environment
“Today, more than 21,000 start ups have been established in Uttar Pradesh across sectors, including AI, robotics, drones, semiconductors and data centres,” he said.
Underlining reforms of his government ever since he took office in 2017, he stated that its foremost priority was to ensure good governance and firmly establish the rule of law.
He noted that the state had to overcome what he described as an “identity crisis,” which, he said, required the strict enforcement of a zero-tolerance policy towards crime and criminals.
According to him, this approach has helped create a stronger institutional ecosystem. He added that Uttar Pradesh today boasts some of the country’s most extensive infrastructure, including expressways, highways, rail links, metro systems and improved air connectivity.
Published on May 6, 2026