A few days after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu sought the support of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to transform the state into an aerospace and defence industries hub, and amid media reports that the CM's request also included the relocation of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to AP, the Karnataka government came out with a strong rebuttal.

Naidu gave the defence minister a wishlist of half a dozen projects, requesting him to mobilise defence public sector undertakings (DPSU) investments and set up an air force station in his state.

The five hubs proposed by the CM  are: Jaggaiahpet-Donakonda (6,000 acres), Lepakshi-Madaksira (10,000 acres), Visakhapatnam-Anakapalli (3,000 acres), Kurnool-Orvakal (4,000 acres) and Tirupati.

According to Naidu, Jaggaiahpet-Donakonda hub is suited for missile and ammunition production; Lepakshi-Madakasira hub for civil and military aircraft and electronics manufacturing; Visakhapatnam-Anakapalli hub for naval equipment production and weapons testing; Kurnool-Orvakal for military drones, robotics and advanced defence component manufacturing; and Tirupati for research and development (R&D) in advance defence innovations.

Naidu requested the defence ministry's approval to mobilise investments from Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Mishra Dhatu Nigam Ltd (MIDHANI) and HAL. 

Media reports also claimed that the proposal by the CM also seeks to set up the future manufacturing capacity for LCA Tejas and other such indigenous platforms in AP.

_{Karnataka ministers respond}

Coming out strongly against such reports, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said the state will not allow HAL to be shifted out of Bengaluru. 

In a X post, he said HAL is not just an enterprise,  "it is a national asset, a symbol of self-reliance, and the proud legacy of Pandit Nehru and Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV." He noted that HAL was founded in Bengaluru in 1940 in collaboration with the Kingdom of Mysore and added, "Bengaluru is the cradle of India’s aerospace sector, with two HAL airports and key defence bases in Bidar and Bengaluru."

He said land has already been allotted in Tumakuru for HAL’s helicopter division and added that the state government is ready to support any expansion with ample land.

Pointing out that Karnataka contributes 65 per cent of India’s defence production and ranks third globally in aerospace ecosystem strength, the deputy CM said the Congress-led government will do whatever it takes to protect the state’s assets.

Echoing similar sentiments, Karnataka Industries Minister M.B. Patil said Karnataka is home to HAL and relocating the existing facility is not acceptable.

Reacting to the media reports of AP CM's request to the defence minister, Patil said in a tweet, "If such a request has indeed been made, it is highly inappropriate and goes against the spirit of cooperation among states. We take this matter seriously and will engage in thorough discussions."

He further said he will soon meet Union ministers, including Defence Minister Singh, to request them to grant a defence corridor to Karnataka. "it is our rightful claim," he added.