Thiruvananthapuram: State govt on Monday decided to provide 180 acres free of cost to BrahMos Aerospace Trivandrum Ltd to set up an advanced missile production hub in Kattakada’s Nettukaltheri area in the district. The move, part of a broader defence expansion strategy, came after the Supreme Court approved the transfer of land from the historic Nettukaltheri open prison campus to the defence firm last year.The apex court cleared state govt’s proposal to reassign 257 acres out of the prison’s 457-acre property for strategic development projects, with BrahMos Aerospace receiving 180 acres specifically for establishing a missile manufacturing facility. The remaining land will be used for Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) battalion headquarters (45 acres) and a campus for National Forensic Science University (32 acres). Nearly 200 acres will remain designated for open prison functions.The Supreme Court verdict, delivered by a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, was based on state’s argument that allocating open prison land to strategic defence projects was in the national interest and wouldn’t interfere with prison operations.Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan termed the decision a “transformative step” for state’s industrial and economic growth, saying BrahMos facility would significantly boost local employment and attract major investments. According to govt estimates, the project could generate substantial tax revenue and over 500 high-skilled jobs once fully operational.The new site at Nettukaltheri, near Neyyar Dam, will support the expansion and relocation of existing BrahMos unit from its current 15.8-acre facility at Chackai, enabling production of advanced missiles and strategic defence hardware under Defence Research and Development Organisation.Strategic analysts said the development positions Thiruvananthapuram as an emerging defence and aerospace hub, complementing investments in space technology and innovation, such as state-backed K-Space Park, which aims to attract major aerospace and defence value-chain players to the region.
