New Delhi, 02 July (H.S.): BrahMos Aerospace, the Indo-Russian joint venture, has increased the production of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles by 20 per cent following the commissioning of its new manufacturing facility in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. With the addition of the Lucknow plant, the company now operates four production centres across India. The new facility has produced its first batch of missiles, significantly enhancing both production speed and manufacturing capacity, raising expectations of securing additional export orders.
BrahMos Aerospace was established in February 1998 as a joint venture between India and Russia for the development and production of the BrahMos missile system. The company brings together India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya. India holds a 50.5 per cent stake in the venture, while Russia owns the remaining 49.5 per cent. BrahMos Aerospace is among the few defence companies globally that manage the entire lifecycle of a weapon system, from design and development to production, marketing, global delivery and after-sales support.
The company currently designs, manufactures and markets the world-renowned BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, which can be launched from submarines, warships, aircraft and land-based platforms. The BrahMos travels at speeds of up to Mach 2.8, making it one of the fastest operational supersonic cruise missiles in the world. Its extended-range variants have a strike range of up to 800 kilometres. The multi-role missile system is capable of engaging both land and maritime targets from multiple operational platforms. BrahMos Aerospace is also developing the next-generation advanced hypersonic BrahMos cruise missile.
BrahMos Aerospace now has four manufacturing facilities across India, with the newest located in Lucknow. The other production centres are situated in Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram and Pilani, Rajasthan. The commissioning of the Lucknow facility has increased the company's overall missile production by 20 per cent.
The Philippines became the first foreign customer to acquire the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system as an anti-ship weapon, while Southeast Asian nations including Indonesia and Vietnam have also expressed strong interest in procuring the missile.
BrahMos Aerospace Co-Director Alexander Maksichev said the Lucknow facility has successfully produced its first batch of missiles. He added that the commissioning of the plant has substantially enhanced both the speed and capacity of missile production. According to him, the BrahMos joint venture has proved highly beneficial for both India and Russia, and with the Lucknow plant now operational, the company expects to secure additional export orders.
The company is also expected to record revenue of Rs 5,200 crore in the financial year 2025-26, reflecting India's growing stature in the global defence manufacturing and export sector.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
