CM Revanth Reddy Launches Raksha Expo 2026 Curtain Raiser in Hyderabad
Synopsis
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy launched the Raksha Expo 2026 curtain raiser at Hyderabad's Taj Falaknuma Palace, announced an imminent Aerospace and Defence Policy 2.0, and called on global defence majors to double their investment in Telangana as the state targets 10% of India's GDP by 2047.
Key Takeaways
Raksha Expo 2026 curtain raiser was officially launched by CM Revanth Reddy at Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad on 25 October 2026 .
Telangana will soon release Aerospace and Defence Policy 2.0 , aligned with the Telangana Rising 2047 vision.
CM pledged full government support to defence entrepreneurs, urging them to 'double their investment plans' in the state.
Telangana targets growing its share of India's GDP from 5% to 10% by 2047 , with defence manufacturing as a key driver.
A Very Low Frequency (VLF) naval radar station is under construction in Vikarabad district's Damagunda Reserve Forest .
The Invest Telangana Global Summit 2026 is scheduled for December 7–9 at Bharat Future City, Hyderabad .
A landlocked state with no coastline is now gunning to become India's largest defence industrial hub — and on Saturday, 25 October 2026, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy made that ambition official. At a high-profile curtain raiser for Raksha Expo 2026, held at the storied Taj Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad, the Chief Minister's Office of Telangana announced that the state will soon release an 'Aerospace and Defence Policy 2.0' — a landmark policy update aligned with the state's Telangana Rising 2047 vision.
What Happened at Falaknuma: A Curtain Raiser With Global Weight
The event, held as part of the Invest Telangana Global Summit 2026 series, saw CM Revanth Reddy formally launch the Raksha Expo 2026 curtain raiser and unveil its official logo. Seated alongside him were Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, ministers Uttam Kumar Reddy and D. Srinivas Babu, Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju, and Home Department Principal Secretary Shikha Goel.
The room carried serious industry firepower. Representatives from DRDO, HAL, BDL, Midhani, Tata Group, Airbus, Safran, Skyroot Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, and Bharat Forge were in attendance. So were Bharat Forge CMD Baba N. Kalyani, Skyroot CEO Pavan Kumar Chandana, former DRDO Chairman Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy, Lockheed Martin India Head Michael Fernandez, L&T Engineering Systems (SPV) head Arun Ramchandani, DhruvaSpace Co-Founder Sanjay Nekkanti, Safran CEO Jitendra Gawankar, Airbus Defence and Space President Venkat Katkuri, and US Consul General in Hyderabad Laura Williams.
Revanth Reddy's Pitch: From Importer to Exporter
The CM's address was direct and ambitious. 'My aspiration is to see India lead the world in defence,' he said, calling on industry to help transform India from a country that imports war technology into one that exports it. He urged defence entrepreneurs to 'double their investment plans' in Telangana, promising full governmental support: 'Tell me what cooperation you need from me to achieve the target. I am ready to cooperate. That is my guarantee.'
He pointed to the future of warfare — drones, robots, AI-driven combat systems — and argued that technology is the only path forward. The CM framed Raksha Expo 2026 as the international platform where these conversations, collaborations, and deals must happen — spanning defence manufacturing, space, aerospace, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and drone technology.
Telangana's Defence Credentials: PSUs, DRDO Labs, and a Naval Radar in the Forests
Revanth Reddy leaned hard on Hyderabad's existing strategic identity. The city already hosts critical research institutions and serves as a command hub for both the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force. BDL (Bharat Dynamics Limited) and MIDHANI — two of India's most important defence public sector undertakings — are headquartered here, and DRDO runs multiple laboratories in the region.
The CM highlighted a striking fact: despite being the only landlocked state in South India, Telangana contributes meaningfully to the Indian Navy. A Very Low Frequency (VLF) naval radar station is currently under construction in the Damagunda Reserve Forest, Vikarabad district — a strategic installation that underscores the state's defence significance far beyond its geography.
The $3 Trillion Target and Telangana's 10% GDP Ambition
The curtain raiser sits inside a much larger economic narrative. The state released its Telangana Rising 2047 vision document last year, targeting a $1 trillion economy by 2034 and a $3 trillion economy by 2047. Telangana currently accounts for over 2.5% of India's population but contributes 5% of national GDP — a ratio the CM wants to double to 10% by 2047.
Defence manufacturing and aerospace are explicitly identified as sectors that will drive that leap. Raksha Expo is designed to be the annual catalyst. The full Invest Telangana Global Summit 2026 — the second edition of the event — is scheduled for December 7, 8, and 9 at Bharat Future City in Hyderabad, where CM Revanth Reddy personally invited all attendees to participate at scale.
Telangana has made its bet: the state that builds India's defence future will build its own economic future in the same stroke. The clock to December is already ticking.
Point of View
Where states — not just the Centre — are now competing to host the supply chains of the future. By anchoring Raksha Expo to the larger Invest Telangana Global Summit and simultaneously teasing Aerospace and Defence Policy 2.0, CM Revanth Reddy is stacking policy signals to give investors regulatory certainty before they commit. Hyderabad's existing cluster of DRDO labs, BDL, HAL, and MIDHANI gives Telangana a genuine head start over rival states — but the VLF radar installation in Vikarabad signals that the Centre is already treating the state as a tier-one strategic partner. The real test will be whether Policy 2.0 delivers on incentive structures that can pull private and foreign OEMs beyond Hyderabad's city limits into a genuine statewide industrial corridor.
NationPress
25 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Raksha Expo 2026 and where will it be held?
Raksha Expo 2026 is an upcoming international defence exhibition being organised by the Telangana government as a platform for defence, aerospace, space, and cybersecurity industry collaboration. The curtain raiser was held at Taj Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad; the full event is expected to be part of the Invest Telangana Global Summit 2026, scheduled for December 7–9 at Bharat Future City, Hyderabad.
What is Telangana's Aerospace and Defence Policy 2.0?
Aerospace and Defence Policy 2.0 is a forthcoming state policy update announced by CM Revanth Reddy at the Raksha Expo 2026 curtain raiser. It is designed to align with the Telangana Rising 2047 vision and is intended to attract greater investment in defence manufacturing, aerospace, and related sectors. Its exact provisions and release date have not yet been officially confirmed.
What is the Telangana Rising 2047 vision?
Telangana Rising 2047 is a vision document released by the Telangana government in 2025. It sets targets of building a $1 trillion economy by 2034 and a $3 trillion economy by 2047, with defence manufacturing and aerospace identified as key growth sectors.
Why is Hyderabad important for India's defence sector?
Hyderabad hosts multiple DRDO research laboratories, defence public sector units including BDL (Bharat Dynamics Limited) and MIDHANI, and serves as a strategic command hub for the Indian Army and Indian Air Force. Despite Telangana being landlocked, a Very Low Frequency (VLF) naval radar station is also under construction in Vikarabad district.
When is the Invest Telangana Global Summit 2026?
The second edition of the Invest Telangana Global Summit is scheduled for December 7, 8, and 9, 2026, at Bharat Future City in Hyderabad. CM Revanth Reddy personally invited defence and industry representatives at the Raksha Expo curtain raiser to attend.
