BrahMos missiles to be produced in Kattakkada; SC allows state to give up open prison's land

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kallikkad village in Kattakkada, Thiruvananthapuram, is set to become a major strategic hub in India’s defence sector. The area will soon house an advanced missile manufacturing unit of BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (BATL). This follows the Supreme Court’s approval allowing the state government to allocate 257 acres of land from the 457-acre Nettukalthery Open Prison property for three major projects. The BrahMos unit in Lucknow currently produces up to 100 missiles a year.

At present, BATL’s Chackai unit manufactures parts of the BrahMos missile. The new project at Kattakkada will focus on manufacturing the complete BrahMos missile. The Supreme Court has also granted approval to provide land in Nettukalthery for an SSB battalion headquarters and a National Forensic Science University campus. The order was issued by a bench consisting of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta.

Out of the total 457 acres, 200 acres will remain with the open prison. The rest will be allotted as follows:

180 acres to BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Ltd
45 acres for the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) battalion
32 acres for the National Forensic Science University

Along with the advanced BrahMos missile, other critical defence hardware will also be manufactured at Nettukalthery.

Why was approval needed?
Land belonging to open prisons can be reassigned only with prior approval from the Supreme Court. Because of this rule, the state government approached the court through Standing Counsel Nishe Rajan Shankar.

Rs 2,500 crore GST in 15 years
The state government told the Supreme Court that the new BATL unit would significantly boost Kerala’s economy. Over 15 years, the state is expected to earn more than Rs 2,500 crore in GST revenue. The project will also contribute to national security and defence production. More than 500 engineers and technical experts are expected to get direct jobs, with around 100 additional indirect employment opportunities.

No impact on open prison
The state government clarified that allocating land for these projects will not affect the functioning of the open prison. Currently, only 100 acres of the 457-acre area are actively used for prison operations.