Anakapalli: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid foundation stone for Bharat Dynamics Limited’s (BDL) new state-of-the-art naval systems manufacturing facility virtually at T Sirasapalli village in Anakapalli district on Friday.
The upcoming facility marks a significant milestone in strengthening India’s indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities and advancing the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat in the strategic defence sector.
Established in 1970 under the Ministry of Defence, BDL has emerged as one of India’s premier defence manufacturing enterprises and a key production partner of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for strategic and tactical weapon systems. The company manufactures advanced missile systems such as Akash, Astra and medium range surface to air missile, anti-tank guided missiles as well as underwater weapon systems, which include heavy weight torpedo Varunastra, lightweight torpedo TAL, C-303 decoy and launchers.
The new manufacturing complex is being established to meet the Indian Navy’s growing requirements for advanced underwater weapon systems and naval combat systems.
Spread across nearly 160 acres, the facility will include advanced manufacturing and assembly infrastructure, integration buildings, explosive handling and storage facilities, testing infrastructure including acoustic tank facilities, administrative buildings and a dedicated green belt.
The project is expected to significantly enhance BDL’s production capacity, enable the execution of multiple concurrent projects and strengthen collaboration with DRDO laboratories and Indian Navy establishments located in the Visakhapatnam region.
The facility will primarily focus on underwater weapon systems, torpedoes, mines and associated naval systems, developed with an estimated investment of around Rs 500 crore.
It is expected to be completed in approximately four years. Besides strengthening national security, the project is also expected to provide a major impetus to regional economic development through the generation of about 3,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities and the promotion of local MSMEs and ancillary industries.
The new naval systems manufacturing facility at T Sirasapalli represents a major strategic expansion of BDL’s capabilities and will play a crucial role in strengthening India’s underwater warfare systems and long-term defence preparedness. At T Sirasapalli in Anakapalli district, MLAs Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy, Sundarapu Vijay Kumar and district Collector Vijaya Krishnan mentioned that the new facility marks a significant milestone that transforms the manufacturing landscape of Anakapalli region.
