New Delhi, Nov 2026 : IG Defence has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh Government to establish a 200-acre Missile Development and Manufacturing Complex in Nellore, marking a significant step towards strengthening India's indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities and strategic autonomy.
The agreement was formalised in Visakhapatnam in the presence of Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh and Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu. The proposed facility is expected to support the development and production of advanced missile technologies, micro-missiles, propulsion systems and precision-strike capabilities.
The project is envisioned as an integrated defence technology and industrial ecosystem rather than a conventional manufacturing unit. It will focus on indigenous research, engineering, production and the development of technologies required by India's evolving defence requirements.
The proposed investment comes amid changing patterns of modern warfare, where conflicts across different regions, including West Asia, have highlighted the growing consumption of missiles, precision-guided munitions, air-defence interceptors and unmanned aerial systems.
These developments have renewed attention on the importance of ammunition reserves, production capacity and the ability to replenish military stockpiles quickly. For defence planners, technological superiority alone is not sufficient without reliable supply chains and the industrial infrastructure needed to sustain prolonged operations.
For India, building strategic autonomy will require greater domestic ownership of defence technologies, intellectual property, manufacturing processes and supply chains. The Nellore project is intended to contribute to these objectives by expanding private-sector participation in indigenous missile development and advanced defence production.
JWALA Micro-Missile Programme
A key component of IG Defence's technology roadmap for the proposed facility is JWALA, its indigenous next-generation micro-missile programme. The system is being developed for precision engagement and counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) applications.
The increasing use of low-cost drones, loitering munitions and coordinated aerial swarms has created demand for affordable and scalable interception systems. Traditional air-defence missiles can involve high costs, making the development of smaller and more cost-effective interceptor technologies an important area of defence research.
According to the company, the JWALA programme has achieved an engineering milestone with the successful test-firing of its indigenous solid rocket motors. The development is expected to support further work on the missile system and its propulsion capabilities ahead of the proposed industrial expansion.
GRID Forge to Power Digital Manufacturing
The physical manufacturing operations at the Nellore complex will be supported by GRID Forge, IG Defence's proprietary software-defined manufacturing ecosystem.
The platform is designed to integrate production infrastructure, engineering workflows, quality assurance and operational coordination through a unified digital framework. It aims to provide end-to-end production traceability, standardised manufacturing processes and real-time visibility across industrial operations.
The company intends to use GRID Forge to make defence manufacturing more scalable, verifiable and replicable, potentially supporting the development of similar production capabilities across future industrial clusters.
Strengthening Andhra Pradesh's Defence Corridor
The 200-acre Nellore facility is expected to add another major component to Andhra Pradesh's emerging aerospace and defence manufacturing ecosystem.
The state already has developing strategic industrial clusters, with Visakhapatnam associated with naval systems and the Kurnool-Orvakal region emerging as a centre for unmanned systems, ammunition and missile-related manufacturing. The proposed Nellore complex is expected to complement these capabilities, particularly in propulsion systems and precision-strike technologies.
Under the MoU, the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board will facilitate the investment process and coordinate with relevant government departments to streamline project development, regulatory approvals and statutory clearances.
IG Defence's Vision for Indigenous Technologies
Commenting on the partnership, Bodhisattwa Sanghapriya, Founder and CEO of IG Defence, said modern warfare was increasingly determined by a country's ability to manufacture, deploy and replenish defence capabilities.
He said recent global conflicts had demonstrated the importance of maintaining adequate munitions reserves and developing resilient domestic supply chains. India, he added, needs to independently develop and manufacture technologies critical to its national security.
Sanghapriya said the company's ambition extended beyond developing individual weapon systems to creating indigenous technologies, intellectual property and manufacturing infrastructure for future defence requirements.
He described JWALA as a reflection of the company's commitment to indigenous missile technology and GRID Forge as its approach to software-defined defence manufacturing. Together, the two initiatives are intended to form the technological and industrial foundation of the proposed Nellore complex.
The partnership with Andhra Pradesh, he said, represents an important step in moving India beyond the role of a buyer or assembler of defence equipment towards becoming a developer, owner and manufacturer of advanced military technologies.
Operating under the motto 'For the Nation, With Precision', IG Defence's proposed investment aligns with the government's Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives. The project is aimed at strengthening India's domestic defence industrial base and supporting its ambitions to become a competitive global hub for advanced defence engineering and scalable munitions manufacturing.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
