Kanpur is becoming a major defence production hub, with private companies setting up units in the city. The Adani Group is building South Asia's largest integrated arms and ammunition manufacturing facility, while other companies such as Genser Technologies, Anant Technologies, Delta Combat Systems, Datum Advanced Composites and Adhunik are also setting up units. Production is expected to begin next year.

The city of Kanpur is scaling up its reputation as a defence production hub, albeit more and more in private hands, all guns blazing.

Known for meeting all sorts of defence needs over the past many decades, Kanpur has had a robust network of public sector undertakings-- seven ordnance factories and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Now, as times are changing, the city is in top gear to embrace private players setting up major defence production units in the Kanpur node of the Uttar Pradesh defence industrial corridor.

Among the six nodes, the Kanpur one was the fastest to reach the ‘houseful’ status as 211 hectares of the 223 hectares were allotted to different companies.

The Adani group had taken the largest chunk of 106 hectares to build South Asia’s largest integrated arms and ammunition manufacturing facility.

Apart from Adani, Genser Technologies, Anant Technologies, Delta Combat Systems, Datum Advanced Composites and Adhunik have acquired land and are in process of setting up units.

“The work on the Adani facility has begun. The work on boundary was completed and two sheds for the assembly lines line have been laid,” said Sudhir Srivastava, deputy commissioner, industries.

Three Adani companies will manufacture weapon systems, arms and ammunitions.

According to documents submitted with the department of industries in Kanpur by the group, its three companies will manufacture 13 types of big guns and 41 types of ammunitions at its defence facility spread over 500 acres in the Kanpur node of the defence corridor.

The companies have obtained the licences and production is expected to begin next year, said Srivastava.

According to the licences issued, Adani Group Carroballista Systems would manufacture 13 types of guns with the Israeli firm Elbit. Agneya Systems and Adani Defence and Technologies would manufacture 41 types of ammunition with Armaco JSCO, a Bulgarian firm.

In the next phase, the company plans to produce small weapons at this facility, as per filings by its director Ashok Wadhwan with the industries department. Wadhwan was not available for comment.

The list shows the company would manufacture gun systems of 105 mm, 120 mm, 20 mm, 125 mm, 130 mm, 23 mm, 127 mm, 155 mm, 30 mm, 35mm, 37 mm and 40 mm at the facility coming up at ₹300 crore.

Agneya Systems and Adani Systems and Technologies will manufacture grenades, rockets(68, 70 and 73 mm), mortars (81, 84 and 120 mm) and 40 mm low-velocity high-explosive grenades and mortar bombs.

In addition, the varied calibre of armour piercing, anti-aircraft guns, automatic grenade launcher, high explosive anti-tank ammunitions, short-range missiles signal shots of different colours, smoke projectile and different types of demolition charges would also be manufactured.

Genser Technologies, which would invest ₹3000 crore, on the other hand, would manufacture light transport aircraft named ‘Rajas Rakshan’.

Anant Technologies is setting up Uttar Pradesh’s first plant for space technologies. It would churn out lower orbit earth and geosynchronous satellites. Adhunik Textiles unit would produce defence textile and materials, Datum Advanced Composites was into carbon filter, glass fibre and other important materials, Delta Combats would make weapons and ammunitions.

Plans are afoot to increase the land bank in Kanpur for the next phase.

“Kanpur figures prominently in the defence production, the companies favour the city for its location, expertise and skilled manpower,” said Srivastava.