Adani Defence & Aerospace, the defence and aerospace arm of Adani Enterprises Limited, formally broke ground on a major missile manufacturing project in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh, on 5 July 2026. Company officials describe the ₹2,500-crore facility as South Asia’s largest private-sector missile ecosystem, marking a significant expansion of India’s indigenous defence manufacturing base outside the public sector.
According to the company, the project will combine composite propellant and Trinitrotoluene (TNT) production with missile system integration at a single location, making it India’s first backward-integrated private-sector capability of its kind. Officials say the investment is expected to generate roughly 5,000 direct and indirect skilled jobs and reinforce Madhya Pradesh’s emergence as a strategic defence manufacturing hub.
The Shivpuri plant is expected to play a crucial role in India’s defence supply chain. By bringing critical material production together with final assembly, the complex is meant to close a long-standing gap in the domestic supply chain, enabling the armed forces to scale-up induction of indigenous precision-guided munitions.
Reports indicate the site will support the mass production of several DRDO-developed weapons systems that have completed trials, including the Next Generation Anti-Radiation Missile, RUDRAM-II, the Naval Anti-Ship Missile-Short Range, the Long-Range Glide Bomb “Gaurav” and the Tactical Autonomous Reconnaissance and Attack system.
The foundation-laying ceremony drew senior state and company representatives. The event was attended by Karan Adani, managing director of Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Limited and a director of Adani Cement, alongside Madhya Pradesh’s energy minister, Pradyuman Singh Tomar.
Separately, at a related stone-laying event, Adani Enterprises director Jeet Adani said the venture represents a historic milestone for India’s private defence manufacturing sector and would substantially strengthen the country’s self-reliance in strategic defence capabilities.
Madhya Pradesh’s political leadership welcomed the announcement enthusiastically. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the investment reinforces the state’s position as a preferred destination for strategic manufacturing and will strengthen India’s indigenous defence ecosystem while boosting industrial growth.
The Shivpuri project builds on Adani’s existing presence in the state’s defence sector. Since 2020, the company has run a small-arms manufacturing unit in Gwalior that supplies pistols, light machine guns, carbines and assault rifles to the Indian armed forces. The new missile facility signals a shift toward higher-value, more technically complex defence production.
The investment also forms part of a much larger commitment by the group to Madhya Pradesh. The defence project falls under Adani’s broader pledge of ₹1.10 lakh crore in the state, announced at the Global Investors Summit in Bhopal, spanning hydro pumped storage, cement, mining, smart meters and thermal power, and expected to create around 1.2 lakh jobs by 2030.
The group has already invested more than ₹4,000 crore in its Ametha and Kymor plants in Katni district, while Adani Power currently supplies 1,200 MW of electricity to the state with another 5,600 MW under development.
Analysts tracking the company note that while the defence push aligns with the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat push to reduce import dependence on weapons systems, the capital-intensive nature of missile manufacturing means investors will likely watch its effect on Adani Enterprises’ debt levels and long-term cash flow closely in the coming quarters.
