Rajnath Singh Lays Foundation for Nagpur Aluminium Extrusion Press
On Friday, June 19, 2026, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stone for a state-of-the-art 10,000-ton Aluminium Extrusion Press at Yantra India Limited’s Ordnance Factory Ambajhari unit in Nagpur. The project is designed to strengthen India's indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities and reduce reliance on imported critical technologies.
The Bhoomi Pujan ceremony, which commenced with Vedic chants, was attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar, and Yantra India Limited (YIL) Chairman and Managing Director Vijay Kumar Iyer, alongside other senior officials from the Ministry of Defence and YIL.
During the event, Singh highlighted the significant growth of India's defence manufacturing sector. He stated that domestic defence production, which stood at Rs 46,000 crore in 2014, has increased to more than Rs 1.78 lakh crore in the 2025-26 fiscal year.
Singh also noted that defence exports have risen from approximately Rs 1,000 crore in 2014 to nearly Rs 40,000 crore currently. He expressed confidence that India would achieve its target of Rs 3 lakh crore in defence production and Rs 50,000 crore in defence exports ahead of schedule in the coming years.
The newly proposed press will support the production of large and complex aluminium alloy profiles. These profiles are essential for defence systems, aerospace and aviation structures, missile programmes, railways, and other strategic industrial applications. By producing these components domestically, the facility will help secure the domestic supply chain.
Addressing the gathering, Singh congratulated YIL and pointed out that this was the first foundation-laying ceremony he had attended at a corporatised ordnance factory unit following the restructuring of the Ordnance Factory Board. He added that the work initiated at the Nagpur facility would impact the country’s defence preparedness and the development of Nagpur for decades to come.
