Lucknow BrahMos Plant Opens, Adds Next-Gen Missile

A major BrahMos missile production facility has been inaugurated in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, as part of India's push for defence self-reliance and export expansion. The plant, a joint venture between India's DRDO and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya, is capable of producing 80-100 supersonic cruise missiles annually and will also manufacture the next-generation, lighter BrahMos NG missile. The facility, completed in under four years with strong government backing, is a key node in the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor aimed at boosting domestic defence manufacturing and job creation. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh highlighted the strategic, deterrent, and export value of the BrahMos missile during the inauguration. The plant's opening coincides with heightened regional tensions and follows the reported use of BrahMos missiles in recent military operations against Pakistani targets during Operation Sindoor. The project is expected to stimulate the regional aerospace and defence industry.