The Chief Minister's Office of Telangana announced on Monday, 22 June 2026 that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at Kartavya Bhavan, the Ministry of Defence headquarters in New Delhi, to request full-scale development of the proposed Adilabad Airport being built under Indian Air Force (IAF) oversight.

Context

The Telangana government has identified the Adilabad Airport as one of its highest-priority infrastructure projects. The airport is being developed as a dual-use facility — combining an IAF terminal with a civilian terminal under the Ministry of Civil Aviation — and is intended to serve both national security and regional connectivity goals.

During the meeting, CM Revanth Reddy conveyed that the state government would extend full cooperation on land acquisition and utilities transfer for the airport's development, recognising its significance to national integrity and defence preparedness.

Policy Backdrop

India's push for dual-use aviation infrastructure — combining military and civilian operations at a single site — has gained momentum under the UDAN regional connectivity scheme, which has encouraged similar models in multiple states since 2016. The Adilabad project fits squarely within this framework, aiming to bring commercial air access to one of Telangana's more remote districts while serving strategic IAF requirements.

Separately, the Telangana government thanked Rajnath Singh for the Ministry of Defence's earlier transfer of defence land for the Gandhi Sarovar project, which forms part of the larger Musi Riverfront Development initiative in Hyderabad. The land transfer had required inter-ministerial coordination between the state government and the central defence establishment.

Stakeholders and Impact

CM Revanth Reddy specifically requested the Union Minister's support to set up large-scale facilities at Adilabad Airport including a civilian passenger terminal, cargo hub, Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) centre, and hangar infrastructure alongside the IAF terminal. The Chief Minister noted that global airlines are actively scouting suitable inland locations for hangar facilities, and argued that Adilabad is well-positioned to attract such investment.

Residents of Adilabad district, the broader aviation industry, and the defence establishment are the primary stakeholders. An operational airport with MRO and cargo facilities would open new economic corridors for a district that currently lacks direct air connectivity.

The Chief Minister also raised a separate defence-linked request: he urged Rajnath Singh to expedite approval for a key DRDO / DRDL project that has selected a site near Devarakadra in Mahabubnagar district. DRDL, the Defence Research and Development Laboratory, is India's premier missile development facility and operates under the broader DRDO umbrella. Senior state government officials accompanied the Chief Minister at the meeting.

What's Next

The immediate focus will be on formal Ministry of Defence approvals for the Adilabad Airport expansion plan, including civilian terminal construction, cargo infrastructure, and MRO hangar development. A green light for the DRDO site near Devarakadra in Mahabubnagar would mark another significant milestone for Telangana's defence infrastructure footprint.

Follow-up coordination between state officials and the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Civil Aviation will determine the pace of land acquisition and utility transfers. If the dual-use model at Adilabad advances, it could serve as a template for similar inland defence-civilian aviation hubs across India.