Bharat Forge Limited to Invest in Andhra Pradesh: Major Defense Project Planned
A significant defense project is set to come to Andhra Pradesh, with Bharat Forge Limited (BFL), a renowned manufacturer of artillery and ammunition, proposing to establish an advanced defense facility through its subsidiary Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited (KSSL). The company plans to set up a state-of-the-art defense energetics facility, focusing on manufacturing equipment like artillery systems, armored vehicles, missiles, defense electronics, and aerospace components.
KSSL has proposed a two-phase development plan, involving an investment of ₹2,400 crore. The facility will not only cater to India’s defense needs but also supply globally. It is expected to create employment opportunities for 550 skilled and semi-skilled workers. The company also supplies equipment for sectors like automotive, electric vehicles, oil and gas, construction, marine, mining, and railways, further emphasizing its diverse capabilities.
For the first phase, the company has requested a minimum of 1,000 acres of land, with an additional 500 acres required for the second phase. Land in Gowdanahalli and R. Anantapuram villages of Madakasira Mandal in Sri Sathya Sai district has already been surveyed. The facility will require extensive space to internally test and validate the defense equipment. The first phase involves setting up plants for manufacturing ammunition, artillery shells, and defense equipment with an initial investment of ₹1,000 crore.
The project timeline includes milestones from land acquisition in 2024 to setting up advanced facilities by 2029. Key facilities will include a shell-filling unit, TNT production, and advanced energetics systems for rockets and warheads. The second phase will focus on establishing plants for polymer-bonded explosives and advanced energetics complexes at an additional cost of ₹1,400 crore. With the global ammunition market expected to grow significantly, Bharat Forge aims to capitalize on this demand, highlighting that ammunition accounts for 53% of the ₹1.29 lakh crore global arms market demand in 2023.
