BrahMos Missile Takes Flight from Lucknow: Milestone for Atmanirbhar Bharat

Lucknow: In a historic moment for India’s defence self-reliance, the first batch of indigenously manufactured supersonic BrahMos missiles was flagged off from the BrahMos Aerospace Limited unit in Lucknow. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath jointly led the ceremony amid loud chants of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai,” marking a proud chapter in the country’s Atmanirbhar Bharat mission.

Addressing the gathering, CM Yogi Adityanath said the BrahMos missile is not just India’s shield, but a strategic asset for friendly nations across the world. “When a nation is secure, development follows. The missiles built in Lucknow guarantee the security and prosperity of every Indian,” he said. Rajnath Singh’s efforts were credited for bringing BrahMos production to Lucknow, turning the city into a key hub for national defence.

The ceremony also witnessed the inauguration of the state-of-the-art Booster Building, a critical step towards scaling up production. The Defence Minister and Chief Minister viewed demonstrations of booster docking, avionics integration, warhead inspection, and BrahMos simulator equipment. A symbolic gesture of growth followed as the dignitaries planted a Rudraksha tree on the campus. DG (BrahMos) Dr. Jayateerth R. Joshi also handed over a ₹40 crore GST bill to CM Yogi, signalling the project’s major economic impact.

Highlighting the transformative role of the Defence Manufacturing Corridor, CM Yogi noted that nodes in Lucknow, Jhansi, Kanpur, Agra, Aligarh, and Chitrakoot are rapidly developing. Projects such as BrahMos in Lucknow, BDL in Jhansi, and AK-203 rifles in Amethi are generating employment for thousands of skilled youth. Over 15,000 jobs have already been created, with 2,500 acres of land allocated.

“Uttar Pradesh is fulfilling both national security and employment goals,” the CM said. He added that collaboration with IIT Kanpur and IIT-BHU to establish two Centres of Excellence will boost defence innovation and Make in India. Annual production of BrahMos missiles is set to rise from 100 to 150 units, contributing ₹150–200 crore annually in GST revenue—“a perfect example of security and prosperity moving together,” Yogi remarked.

The event concluded with the message that Lucknow is emerging as a centre of defence strength, industry, innovation, and economic growth—symbolising the new face of Atmanirbhar Bharat.