Strategic Initiative — DRDO Collaboration

HPGP
PROJECT

High Performance Green Propellant Manufacturing Facility — Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh

Strategic Partners

Backed by India's
Foremost Defence Institutions

The HPGP project brings together three of India's most credible defence and research entities in a single, purpose-built propellant manufacturing collaboration.

XPREDATOR
Lead Manufacturer & Project Owner
DRDO
Defence Research & Development Organisation
HEMRL
High Energy Materials Research Laboratory
UP GOVT
Chitrakoot Node — UP Defence Corridor
Project Overview
India's first indigenous High Performance Green Propellant manufacturing facility — replacing toxic hydrazine-based propellants with a safer, higher-performance alternative for defence and space applications.
High Performance Green Propellants (HPGP) represent a generational leap in propulsion technology. Traditional propellants — primarily hydrazine — are highly toxic, carcinogenic, and require extreme handling precautions. HPGP replaces them with ionic liquid-based formulations that deliver 12–20% higher specific impulse, dramatically reduced toxicity, and superior storability. This technology is currently in limited global supply, and India's dependency on foreign propellant imports for its space and missile programmes makes this project a matter of national strategic priority.
12–20%
Higher Specific Impulse vs Hydrazine
Zero
Toxic Waste vs Traditional Propellants
₹400Cr+
Estimated Annual Import Substitution
1st
Indigenous Facility of This Kind in India

Project Details

DETAIL — 01
Location — Chitrakoot, UP
The facility will be established at the Chitrakoot node of the UP Defence Industrial Corridor — a government-designated defence manufacturing zone offering infrastructure support, fast-track clearances, tax incentives, and direct access to the national logistics network. Chitrakoot's strategic inland location also provides natural security advantages for a high-energy materials facility.
DETAIL — 02
Technology Partner — HEMRL
The High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL), Pune — a premier DRDO establishment — is the technology custodian for this project. HEMRL has spent years developing indigenous HPGP formulations with performance parameters matching global benchmarks. Xpredator is the designated industrial partner to translate HEMRL's laboratory achievements into full-scale production reality.
DETAIL — 03
Offtake & Market
The primary offtake for HPGP production includes ISRO's satellite propulsion systems, DRDO's missile programme propellant requirements, and export to allied nations under India's SCOMET export framework. With India's space launch programme accelerating and the missile arsenal expanding, the demand pipeline is institutional, not speculative — making this one of the most de-risked manufacturing opportunities in Indian defence today.
DETAIL — 04
Strategic National Impact
Currently, India imports 100% of its HPGP requirements — at significant cost and with critical supply chain vulnerability. A single facility of this type eliminates that vulnerability entirely. Beyond economics, this project directly strengthens India's strategic autonomy in space and missile propulsion — a capability that no country with true defence ambitions can afford to outsource indefinitely.

Project Roadmap

Execution Timeline

Phase 01 — Complete
Foundation & Partnership
DRDO-HEMRL collaboration formalised. DPIIT recognition secured. UP DiC site identification at Chitrakoot node completed. Regulatory framework mapped under DGQA and PESO guidelines.
Phase 02 — Active
Fundraising & Licensing
Seed capital raise in progress. MHA explosive manufacturing licence application submitted. Industrial land allotment within Chitrakoot DiC node under finalisation. Technology transfer agreement with HEMRL being structured.
Phase 03 — Upcoming
Facility Construction
Civil works commencement at Chitrakoot. Reactor and processing equipment procurement. Safety systems installation to PESO standards. DRDO technical team embedded for commissioning oversight.
Phase 04 — Target
First Production & Scale
Trial production runs. Quality certification by DRDO. First deliveries to ISRO and DRDO missile programme. Scale-up to full annual production capacity. Export clearances under SCOMET framework activated.