Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), the Navratna central PSU, will invest ₹2,500 crore in defence manufacturing in Rayalaseema. IT and Education Minister Nara Lokesh announced on X on Sunday that the project will come up on 914 acres in Sri Sathya Sai district. "We said it, and we did it," he wrote.
At a glance
- Investment: ₹2,500 crore
- Land: 914 acres, Sri Sathya Sai district
- Jobs: about 800, according to the minister
- Aim: a defence manufacturing ecosystem and a supplier base in Rayalaseema
Background: land acquired in 2022
In December 2022, The Hans India reported that BEL had acquired 914 acres at Palasamudram in the same district and released ₹384 crore for a first phase to make missile and radar testing equipment. The latest reports do not say whether the ₹2,500 crore figure is a fresh approval or an expansion of that project.
Still unknown
BEL has not disclosed the products, the construction start or the production date. A formal company statement would settle those details.