Telangana to host first state-organised defence and aerospace expo, curtain-raiser on Saturday

Telangana is set to host Raksha Expo 2026—India’s first defence and aerospace expo organised by a state government—with the curtain-raiser scheduled to be held in Hyderabad on October 24.

The main event, scheduled from December 7 to 9 at Bharat Future City, will bring together the aerospace, space, defence, and internal security sectors on a single platform to promote domestic manufacturing, innovation, and investment.

“The nature of conflict is changing. Conventional methods of warfare and statecraft now operate alongside drones and new-age missiles. Telangana must be the centre of this revolution. We must be the largest contributors to India’s national and internal security,” Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy said.

“Telangana must become the largest contributor to the mission of securing India’s national and internal security. I am confident Telangana will help make India a global defence superpower,” he said.

The program

The curtain-raiser is expected to bring together more than 80 leaders from over 70 organisations, including global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Indian defence and aerospace companies. Companies represented include Airbus, Boeing, Tata Lockheed Martin, Safran, Rolls-Royce and GE Aerospace, among others.

Union defence minister Rajnath Singh has been invited to inaugurate the main expo. The state government has also planned a roadshow in New Delhi on October 29 to build participation ahead of the December summit.

The expo will be held as a flagship event alongside the Invest Telangana Global Summit 2026. Its programme will include exhibitions, live technology demonstrations, drone shows and a planned air show on December 9.

Business-to-business and business-to-government meetings are expected to connect manufacturers, startups, and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with government representatives, security agencies, and international investors. The aim is to enable supplier partnerships, joint ventures, technology transfer, and indigenous co-development.

Hyderabad’s existing aerospace and defence ecosystem will be central to the showcase. The city is home to more than 12 Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratories and defence public sector enterprises, as well as private manufacturers such as Tata Advanced Systems, Adani Defence and Bharat Forge.

The Telangana Rising 2047 link

The state’s aerospace network has produced 400 Apache helicopter fuselages. It also serves as the global single source for C-130J Super Hercules empennages— the structure at the rear of an aircraft responsible for aerodynamic stability.

The event is also linked to the state’s Telangana Rising 2047 vision, which seeks to position Telangana as a major economic and manufacturing hub and achieve the status of a $1 trillion economy by 2034.

“Hyderabad has powered India’s strategic programmes for decades, from missiles and fighter aircraft to satellites and secure communications, and is home to nearly 30 per cent of the country’s defence and aerospace industry,” said chief secretary Sanjay Jaju.

The event comes amid a push to strengthen domestic defence manufacturing and reduce vulnerabilities in global supply chains. India’s defence production reached a record ₹1.78 lakh crore in 2025-26, while defence exports touched ₹38,424 crore. Telangana’s aerospace exports also rose from ₹15,900 crore in 2023-24 to ₹30,742 crore in 2024-25.