Telangana to have 8 aero-defence parks soon

Hyderabad: Industries Minister KT Rama Rao on Monday, speaking in the Legislative Council, informed that eight aero defence parks would come up in the State soon.

Replying to a question in the Legislative Council, he said that seven such dedicated parks have already been earmarked for setting up aero defence sector companies, while the eighth one would come up near Ibrahimpatnam, he added.

The Minister claimed that Hyderabad and Telangana were destined to become the future destination for investments in the aero defence sector. Apart from these eight aero defence parks, a special economic zone near GMR Airport for MRO facilities is being approved, added the Minister

"One more similar SEZ is being promoted at Nadargul where the Adani group, an important industrial house, is setting up manufacturing of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in an extent of 20 acres," he said, adding that earlier there were plans for the Hardware Park-1 and 2 and some companies have also come set up their units there.

Further, the investors in the aero defence sector won't see defence and electronics separately for investments. Hence, efforts were made to set up an electronic city for defence and electronics together, he said. He further said that 3 kilometres away from Ibrahimpatnam, one composite park by the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) in an extent of 100 acres is being set up allocating lands to 40 companies.

Answering specific issues, the Minister said that the State government was talking to the Airbus. However, he added that the international investors were free to invest anywhere in India with their joint venture. "The TS iPASS's flexible, transparent and speed approvals attract the investments with which the efforts are on to convince the investors to come to the State," he added.

Regarding the defence industrial production corridor, he said that he had earlier met the then Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for setting up the same between Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Since several of the defence industries were already located along with about 1,200 ancillaries, it will also help the backward areas like Mahbubnagar, and Anantapur in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

However, unfortunately, instead of national interests, sometimes political interest prevails, and the corridor has been taken to Bundelkhand area where there is no single defence industry, he said.

However, 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment was being invited by the Centre in this sector and the Telangana and Hyderabad would remain a major destination. Further, the State government would continue with efforts to attract investments and industries in the sector to Telangana, he added.