Telangana aims to become India's aerospace and defence hub by 2030

The Telangana government announced its goal to emerge as India's undisputed aerospace and defence capital by 2030. The plan, outlined by state minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, emphasises expanding aerospace and defence manufacturing under the state's industrial policy and boosting skill development through the proposed TG Young University.

Telangana already hosts around 1,500 MSMEs in the aerospace and defence supply chain and more than 2,000 firms collaborating with DRDO projects. Over 2,200 licensing agreements have been signed, about 90% with private sector partners. The state highlighted recent defence procurement approvals worth roughly Rs 3.5 lakh crore and orders of Rs 2 lakh crore, including 220 Tejas fighter aircraft. The current defence budget stands at Rs 7.85 lakh crore, with over 75% earmarked for domestic industry participation.

The announcement was made at the “MSME Spark 3.0 Aerospace and Defence Manufacturing” conclave in Hyderabad, attended by over 400 policymakers, defence experts, startups, investors and MSMEs. Officials also called for greater participation of women in the sector and underscored Hyderabad's cost‑effective aerospace ecosystem, supported by defence laboratories, research institutes and advanced manufacturing facilities.