To strengthen the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC), the government may invest Rs 5,000 crore in several military-ware projects in Chitrakoot. The Union Environment Ministry has approved the development of 60 hectares of land designated for UPDIC in Chitrakoot.

The environment ministry's sanction, according to the Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), could result in projects worth Rs 5,000 crore and might generate 100,000 jobs in Chitrakoot.

A third of Chitrakoot would be set aside for greenbelt. The developers will include current provisions for energy conservation, waste management, firefighting, noise, water, and air pollution. The industrial corridor includes six nodes: Lucknow, Kanpur, Jhansi, Aligarh, Chitrakoot, and Agra districts.

“This corridor is key to propelling the ‘Make in UP’ mission of the Yogi Adityanath government, and contributing to India’s military self-reliance and exports,” said a government official. The corridor would encompass the production of drones, helicopters, arms and ammunition.

So far, the state government has approved defence manufacturing projects totaling Rs 25,000 crore and signed 140 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with both public and private enterprises.

MoUs were inked with Adani Defence and Aerospace, BrahMos Aerospace, Ancor Research Labs, Tata Technologies, Bharat Dynamics Limited, Delta Combat Systems, SpiceJet Technic, Verivision, HAL, Gliders India, Defence Research and Development Organisation, Aerolloy Technologies, and others.