The joint venture of Tata Advanced Systems and Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (US) will produce its first helicopter from the Aerospace and Precision Engineering special economic zone at Adibhatla near here by November 2010, according to chief minister K Rosaiah.
Inaugurating India Aviation 2010, the second edition of the international exhibition and conference on civil aviation here on Wednesday, he said Tata-Sikorsky was allotted 50 acre in the country’s first aerospace SEZ to set up a helicopter cabin manufacturing facility with an estimated investment of Rs 1,000 crore. The project would begin its commercial production this month, he said.
Another joint venture — NOVA — between Tata Advanced Systems and Israel Air Force Technology has also been allotted 30 acres in this SEZ. Besides, Samuha, a consortia of companies like MTAR Technologies and others have been allotted land in both SEZ and Non-SEZ areas for providing services and manufacturing facilities for the aircraft manufacturers globally.
The state has another aerospace unit in Lepakshi Aerospace and Defence Cluster in Anantapur, promoted by the Lepakshi group. The unit comprise a manufacturing zone, research and development, maintenance, repair and overhaul facility, aerospace station and an academy supported by a logistics park and free trade warehousing zone.
Rosaiah said the state had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Airports Authority of India for upgrading and developing airports at Vijayawada, Rajahmundry, Warangal and Kadapa. It was also in the process of upgrading the Tirupati airport into an international airport. It recently upgraded the Visakhapatnam airport with night landing facilities to cater to the international traffic.
Stating that the state was open to developing regional airports at Kurnool, Tadepalligudem, Nizamabad and other towns under public private partnership, Rosaiah said to attract investments in the airport sector, the government would provide fiscal incentives apart from infrastructure like land, water and power supply for development of these airports.
The GMR Group, which has developed the greenfield Hyderabad international airport, is setting up an aerospace park in which CFM engine maintenance training centre is one of the tenants.
The GMR group in a joint venture with Malaysian Airlines is also setting up an Airframe MRO in the park, the chief minister said.
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