Chennai/Hyderabad: 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 comprises 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. Source: BS 04/03/2010
TATA
Helicopters Unit in Adibhatla SEZHyderabad,
June 1: The US-based Sikorsky will shift its helicopter-making facility in
Japan to Andhra Pradesh, through a tie-up with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd, which
plans to invest Rs 1,000 crore in the proposed Aerospace Special Economic Zone
at Adibhatla village on the outskirts of the city.
The
facility will provide direct employment to 1,000 people, according to B.P.
Acharya, managing director of the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure
Corporation.
He said the government was providing huge
subsidies and tax holiday to the project.
The state
government today handed over 50 acres of land to the Tatas. The land is priced
at Rs 30 per lakh acre.
Besides, the Tata plant will also
provide indirect employment to another 4,000 people once it is commissioned by
June 2010, sources said.
They said the Tatas had plans to
establish aerospace and defence products manufacturing facility, as well, at
the SEZ.
The helicopter plan comes close on the heels of a
Rs 6,000-crore project in the state’s Chittoor district to make heavy equipment
for power firms. Over 2,000 will get jobs at Chittoor within three years of the
project, which is being jointly set up by NTPC and Bhel.
