HYDERABAD: The government has received a big boost to its plans to develop the State as an aerospace hub with the industry giving a commitment to investing Rs.3,000 crore in the special economic zones on promoting state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities.

The Tata Advanced Systems Limited commenced work on its US $ 350 million deal for manufacturing fuselages for Sikorsky S-92 helicopters at its plant at Adi Bhatla on the city outskirts with Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy formally unveiling the plaque of the foundation stone here on Thursday. Samuha, the aerospace manufacturers’ consortium which promised investment of Rs.1,500 crore in the SEZ was handed over the letter of allotment.

Nova Integrated Systems, a joint venture of Tata group and Israel Aerospace Industries, which committed an investment of US $ 50 million, was given allotment letter, earmarking 120 acres within the SEZ and another 50 acre outside.

Another US-based chopper components manufacturing firm, Kaizen Technologies which gave commitment to investing more than Rs.100 crore in the manufacture of spares was allotted land at Lepakshi Aerospace Park coming up in Anantapur district.

The Chief Minister outlined various measures launched by his government to see that the State which lagged behind in encouraging manufacturing sector caught up with the rest.Explaining about the importance attached to infrastructure development in the past five years, he said Rs.41,000 crore was spent on irrigation infrastructure alone while the government planned to spend another Rs.1.35 lakh crore in the next five years. “There are of course financial constraints, but we are trying everything,” he said.

Major Industries Minister Kanna Lakshminarayana said the aerospace SEZ was set to provide over 10,000 jobs in the next five years and the multiservices park being developed by GMR group adjacent to the SEZ was set to convert the State into a major destination for maintenance, repair and overhaul operations.

Seed project

TASL CEO and managing director Lt. General (retd) Davinder Kumar said the facility with most advanced technology would be commissioned before the end of next year and it was the seed project around which the Tata group planned to build its aerospace technology related capabilities.

State has 3 international airports!

HYDERABAD: People may believe that the State can boast of a single green field international airport at Shamshabad, but the State, in fact, has three international airports if Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy is to be believed. And, the Chief Minister has an explanation to substantiate his claim of State housing three international airports – the Bangalore and Chennai airports in addition to the one on the Hyderabad outskirts. “Bangalore international airport is about 45-minute drive from the Lepakshi Aerospace Park in Anantapur while the Chennai airport is about the same distance from the Sri City SEZ coming up in Chittoor district,” he said.

Given the traffic constraints witnessed in Chennai and Bangalore, people were finding it convenient to drive down to Andhra Pradesh rather than the two cities, Dr. Reddy reasoned. “This is why we call the two airports our airports,” he said .

(courtesy:www.Thehindu.com, Date:31-07-09)