New Delhi, 02 September (H.S.): Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday invited Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to inaugurate the Defence Expo-2026, which will be organised as part of the Invest Telangana Global Summit-2026 at Bharat Future City from December 7 to 9.

Revanth Reddy met Rajnath Singh in New Delhi and briefed him on the proposed global summit and the Defence Expo, which is aimed at highlighting investment opportunities in Telangana's aerospace, defence and space sectors.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister sought the Defence Ministry's cooperation in organising the expo in accordance with international standards. He also requested assistance in obtaining necessary airspace clearances for the proposed air show and sought participation of Indian Air Force aircraft, besides the Surya Kiran and Sarang aerobatic teams.

The Defence Expo is planned to include special sessions on aerospace, defence and space, an industrial exhibition, an air show and live demonstrations of land-based defence systems. Defence industries, startups and young scientists from across the country are expected to participate.

Revanth Reddy also requested that advanced defence systems of the Army, Navy and Air Force be showcased at the event and that senior officials and representatives of the three services participate.

The participation of defence public sector undertakings, including HAL, BEL, BDL and MDL, as well as DRDO laboratories, was also discussed. The Chief Minister sought support for showcasing indigenous defence technologies and facilitating interactions with foreign defence representatives, bilateral defence delegations and representatives of international defence organisations.

The meeting also covered land requirements for the proposed Adilabad Airport. Revanth Reddy informed the Defence Minister that the Telangana government had already acquired 750 acres and would acquire another 750 acres, taking the total to 1,500 acres as sought by the Defence Ministry.

The Chief Minister further informed Rajnath Singh that the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) had agreed to allocate 416.18 acres in Devarakadra mandal of Mahabubnagar district for a project of the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL).

The land would be leased for 33 years at an annual rent of ₹1 for the entire parcel, rather than on a per-acre basis, according to the state government. The provision for extending the lease twice, if required, was also discussed.

Telangana SHAKTI Minister G Vivek Venkataswamy, MPs M Anil Kumar Yadav, Mallu Ravi, Suresh Shetkar and Porika Balram Naik, and State Government Advisor (Protocol) Harkara Venugopal were present during the meeting.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar