Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Defense Industrial Corridor (UPDIC), one of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s flagship initiatives, is swiftly taking shape on the ground. Envisioned to strengthen India’s defence and aerospace self-reliance, the project has already allotted more than 977.54 hectares of land to 62 companies. These firms alone have paved the way for investments worth ₹11,997.45 crore and the creation of 14,256 direct jobs. Additionally, MoUs with over 110 companies are in the pipeline, bringing potential investments of nearly ₹23,000 crore and more than 38,000 jobs.
The Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) has approved over 2,097 hectares of land across six nodes—Aligarh, Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi, Chitrakoot, and Agra. Of this, more than 2,040 hectares have already been acquired, and 1,598.92 hectares are currently available for allotment.
Aligarh has emerged as the leader in the number of companies allotted land (24), while Kanpur ranks first in total land allotment with 210 hectares allocated to five companies. In Jhansi, 17 companies have been allotted 571 hectares, and in Lucknow, 16 companies have received more than 131 hectares. The land allotment process is set to begin soon in Chitrakoot, Aligarh Phase-2, and the Agra node, further accelerating the pace of development.
Under the continuous guidance and monitoring of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a total of 197 MoUs have been signed for the Defense Corridor so far, including 172 industrial MoUs. Together, they represent a proposed investment of ₹34,844.49 crore and the potential to generate 52,658 jobs. In the upcoming phase, over 110 additional MoUs are on track, with combined investment possibilities of more than ₹22,847 crore and an estimated 38,000 new jobs.
According to UPEIDA ACEO H.P. Shahi, the Defense Corridor has been strategically aligned with initiatives like “One District, One Product (ODOP)” and “Make in India” as envisioned by the Chief Minister. He reiterated that the UP Defense Corridor will not only transform Uttar Pradesh’s industrial landscape but also position India as a global defence manufacturing hub.
A major milestone has already been achieved with the establishment of the BrahMos missile manufacturing unit in the Lucknow node—significantly elevating the corridor’s strategic relevance. With this momentum, Uttar Pradesh is now competing strongly with states like Gujarat and Tamil Nadu in defence production. More major announcements are expected in the coming months, driving the state closer to its goal of becoming a trillion-dollar economy.