Key Points
- India flags off Suryastra, a 300 km range indigenous rocket launching system
- NIBE Group opens defence complex in Shirdi to manufacture missiles and artillery
- Private sector contribution to defence production targeted to reach 50 per cent
India on Saturday flagged off Suryastra, described as the country’s first indigenous Universal Rocket Launching System with a 300 kilometre range — a distance that allows artillery fire to reach targets well beyond typical battlefield ranges without requiring air support.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated the defence manufacturing complex of NIBE Group at Shirdi, where the system was unveiled. The foundation stone was also laid for a dedicated missile complex for Suryastra.
“A nation that manufactures its own weaponry writes its own destiny,” Singh said at the ceremony.
The Shirdi complex is designed to manufacture advanced artillery systems, missile and space technologies, rocket systems, energetic materials and autonomous defence platforms.
The event also saw the unveiling of indigenous TNT plant technology and RDX plant technology — both explosive compounds used in military munitions — alongside a renewable bio-energy compressed biogas plant.
NIBE Group signed a memorandum of understanding with Black Sky for satellite assembly, though details of the partnership were not disclosed.
Private sector role in defence manufacturing
Singh emphasised that defence production, once largely confined to public sector units and ordnance factories, was opened to the private sector by the Narendra Modi-led government.
“We recognised the capabilities of the private sector as it can transform India into a global manufacturing hub,” he said.
The minister stated that the outcome of future wars would be determined by advancements in munitions and automation rather than the size of forces, citing the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the situation in West Asia as evidence.
“India demonstrated this capability during Operation Sindoor,” he added, without elaborating.
Singh said private sector contribution to defence production had risen from negligible levels to approximately 25 to 30 per cent. The government’s target is to increase this figure to 50 per cent in the coming years.
Policy measures
The Defence Minister listed policy reforms undertaken over the past decade, including liberalised foreign direct investment norms, the Strategic Partnership Model, notification of Positive Indigenisation Lists, and schemes such as Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX (ADITI), and the Technology Development Fund (TDF).
By the numbers
- 300 km
- Range of Suryastra rocket launching system
- 25-30%
- Current private sector share of defence production
- 50%
- Government target for private sector defence share
He called for concerted efforts to transform India into a global hub for munitions and automation.
“The fundamental objective of technology is not to diminish the capabilities of soldiers, but to augment them, and the final decision must always remain in human hands,” Singh said.
Your Questions, Answered
What is Suryastra?
Suryastra is described as India's first indigenous Universal Rocket Launching System with a 300 kilometre range. It was flagged off at a defence manufacturing complex in Shirdi on 23 May 2026.
What will the NIBE Group complex in Shirdi manufacture?
The Shirdi complex is designed to manufacture advanced artillery systems, missile and space technologies, rocket systems, energetic materials and autonomous defence platforms.
What is the government's target for private sector defence production?
The government aims to increase private sector contribution to defence production from the current 25 to 30 per cent to 50 per cent in the coming years.
What other technologies were unveiled at the Shirdi event?
The ceremony saw the unveiling of indigenous TNT plant technology, RDX plant technology and a renewable bio-energy compressed biogas plant. An MoU was also signed between NIBE Group and Black Sky for satellite assembly.
