Rajnath Singh dedicates titanium and superalloy plant in Lucknow, calls for India to produce rare defence materials

New Delhi, October 18. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on October 18 dedicated to the nation a Titanium and Superalloy Materials Plant at PTC Industries’ Strategic Materials Technology Complex in Lucknow, urging that India must produce rare and critical materials used in defence and aerospace to safeguard its technological sovereignty and emerge as a technology creator.

Emphasising the strategic importance of rare earth materials used in defence, space, and electronics, Singh said that only a few nations currently possess the capability to refine and process such materials. He noted that the new facility – among the first private-sector plants in India to manufacture aero-engine and superalloy components – would play a crucial role in reducing dependence on imports and enabling indigenous production of advanced materials.

‘True strength lies in manufacturing our own materials’

Reflecting on India’s earlier reliance on foreign countries for advanced materials, Singh said the new plant marks a turning point in the country’s quest for self-reliance.

“India will achieve real strength only when it can make its own materials, components, chips, and alloys,” he said. “With this facility, India joins an elite group of nations capable of producing critical materials for fighter jets, missiles, naval systems, and satellites.”

The Defence Minister stressed that while technology is power, “material is the real strength”, as no high-end system – from semiconductors to turbine engines – can exist without it. He described the plant as a foundation for India’s technological sovereignty and a “living example of Aatmanirbhar (self-reliant) Bharat,” with benefits extending from industry to society.

Boost to UP’s industrial ecosystem

Praising the project’s contribution to Uttar Pradesh’s industrial landscape, Singh said the Strategic Materials Technology Complex would create direct and indirect employment opportunities and attract supplier industries and startups to the region.

“The UP Defence Industrial Corridor is on its way to becoming one of Asia’s most advanced manufacturing zones,” he said, adding that it would provide technical training and employment to youth across the state.

Singh commended Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for Uttar Pradesh’s transformation over the past decade, citing improved law and order, investor confidence, and the rise of factories, IT hubs, and research centres that have made the state a “growth engine of the nation”.

India moving from ‘Make in India’ to ‘Design, Develop and Deliver in India’

Highlighting the growing role of the private sector in defence manufacturing, the Defence Minister said India has moved beyond ‘Make in India’ to a new phase of ‘Design, Develop and Deliver in India’. He urged startups, MSMEs, and innovators to view participation in the defence sector as not just a business opportunity but a national responsibility, assuring full government support and policy backing.

Major collaborations and achievements

During the event, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between PTC Industries and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) to jointly develop propulsion systems, guided bombs, and small aero-engines for missiles, UAVs, and loitering munitions – a move expected to accelerate the indigenisation of advanced propulsion technologies.

PTC Industries also received multiple Letters of Technical Acceptance (LoTAs) from the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification (CEMILAC) under DRDO for:

• Titanium Rear Fin Root Castings for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), developed in collaboration with DMRL and ADA.
• Oil Tank Assembly Titanium Castings for the Kaveri Derivative Engine (KDE-2), in partnership with GTRE.
• A Purchase Order for post-cast operations to manufacture single-crystal turbine blades for the KDE-2 – a significant milestone in developing one of the most complex components in modern jet engines.

Spread over 50 acres and established with an investment of Rs. 1,000 crore, the complex has a production capacity of over 6,000 tonnes per annum, enabling India to produce aviation-grade titanium and superalloys from domestic and recycled sources – a decisive move towards strategic materials independence.

Singh, accompanied by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat, and BrahMos DG Jaytirth R Joshi, also toured the facility and reviewed its advanced manufacturing infrastructure.