Adani Defence & Aerospace on Sunday broke ground for a ₹2,500-crore integrated manufacturing ecosystem for medium- and long-range missile systems at Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh, which the company said will be South Asia’s largest private-sector missile manufacturing complex.
The integrated facility will manufacture medium- and long-range missile systems while also producing critical inputs such as composite propellants, TNT and explosive-grade materials under one roof—a first for India’s private sector, according to the company. The project, which is expected to be completed over the next three years, will create around 5,000 direct and indirect jobs while supporting more than 50 MSMEs that will form part of the specialised defence manufacturing supply chain.
“We have gathered here today for a landmark occasion – laying the foundation of South Asia’s largest private-sector missile ecosystem. This facility will bring raw materials and mission-ready missiles under one roof—a historic first outside the public sector,” Jeet Adani, Director at Adani Airport Holdings Ltd, said at the groundbreaking ceremony in Madhya Pradesh.
Calling Shivpuri the company’s “next giant leap” in defence manufacturing, Jeet Adani said the group is working closely with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian armed forces to deepen indigenous capabilities and reduce dependence on imported weapon systems. “Shivpuri is the next giant leap in that journey as we bring a full-range, integrated missile ecosystem to manufacture medium- and long-range missile systems, replacing foreign dependency with domestic power. But we are going deeper than just assembly. We are establishing composite propellant manufacturing as well as TNT and explosive-grade material production,” he said.
The Shivpuri project expands Adani Defence & Aerospace’s manufacturing footprint, which currently spans facilities in Kanpur, Gwalior and Hyderabad. The Kanpur facility, spread over 500 acres, is being developed as South Asia’s largest integrated ammunition manufacturing complex, producing small-, medium- and large-calibre ammunition for the armed forces, paramilitary forces, police and export markets. The Hyderabad Aerospace Park houses India’s first private-sector final assembly line for military-grade unmanned systems and a private-sector surface-to-air missile (SAM) complex, while the Gwalior facility manufactures a range of small arms for domestic and international markets.
Jeet Adani said the Gwalior complex has already delivered 2,000 indigenously manufactured Prahar Light Machine Guns (LMGs) to the Indian Armed Forces, completing the order 11 months ahead of schedule.
According to the FY26 annual report of Adani Enterprises Ltd, Adani Defence & Aerospace has expanded its portfolio across small arms, ammunition, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), counter-drone systems, missiles and aircraft services, supported by AI- and machine learning-driven technologies. The company said its Arka MANPADS, SkyStriker and Agnikaa loitering munitions, along with the Drishti-10 UAV, were deployed during Operation Sindoor.
Beyond manufacturing, the company has established a defence R&D centre in Delhi focused on artillery systems, unmanned platforms and missile technologies. It has also expanded into aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) and flight training through the acquisitions of Air Works, Indamer Technics and Flight Simulation Technique Centre (FSTC).
The event on Sunday was attended by Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Adani Ports and SEZ Managing Director Karan Adani and senior executives of the Adani Group.