Chief minister A Revanth Reddy meets Defence minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Wednesday (Photo: IANS/X/@DefenceMinIndia)
Hyderabad: Chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday met Union defence minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi and informed him that the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) had agreed to allocate 416.18 acres in Devarakadra mandal of Mahabubnagar district for a Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) project. He said the land would be provided on a 33-year lease at a nominal annual rent of ₹1 for the entire tract, rather than on a per-acre basis, with an option to extend the lease twice if required. The chief minister requested Rajnath to inaugurate the Defence Expo-2026, which will be held as part of the global summit in Hyderabad. He said the Defence Expo-2026 in Hyderabad will be organised in accordance with international standards and sought the defence ministry’s cooperation for its successful organisation. Revanth informed Rajnath that the Telangana govt had already acquired 750 acres for the Adilabad airport and agreed to acquire and hand over another 750 acres, thereby fulfilling the defence ministry’s total requirement of 1,500 acres.
The participation and guidance of the defence minister would inspire defence industries, startups and young scientists from across the country,” Revanth said. “The expo will feature a special session on the aerospace, defence and space sectors, along with an air show, industrial exhibition and live demonstrations of land-based defence systems. The chief minister requested necessary airspace clearances for the air show and sought the participation of IAF aircraft, as well as the Surya Kiran and Sarang aerobatic teams. Revanth further sought extensive participation from defence PSUs, including HAL, BEL, BDL and MDL, as well as DRDO laboratories, to showcase indigenous defence technologies. He also requested the defence ministry’s assistance in facilitating meetings with foreign defence representatives, bilateral defence delegations and prominent representatives of international defence organisations. During the meeting, the chief minister also discussed land-related issues concerning defence projects.