Hyd poised to turn a Space City

The Civil Aviation Products Advisory Council (CAPAC), headed by civil aviation secretary G Asok Kumar held a meeting with major aviation manufacturers on Friday at the aviation show.

The state government officials showcased the policy and incentives to attract aviation industry. Officials from the state government showcased the state's first aerospace Special Economic Zone (SEZ) coming up at Adibatla on the outskirts of the city.

The officials expressed their confidence that aviation manufacturers would set up their units in Adibatla.

The country’s first Aerospace Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Adibatla, has 24 companies that are members of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA).

These 24 Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) formed a consortium called Samuha Engineering Industries Limited (SEIL) in a bid to create world class infrastructure and generate global business in the area of aerospace, defence, nuclear and other high precision products.

Former Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy along with minister for heavy industries J Geeta Reddy laid the foundation for the infrastructure works on November 4, 2013.

The government had allotted 100 acres for the Aerospace SEZ along with another 93 acres for Domestic Tariff Area (DTA). APIIC is the developer of the SEZ and SEIL is the co-developer for the infrastructure.

The SMEs are taking advantage of the defence policy which states that foreign companies in the country should have 30 per cent of supplies from local manufacturers. The firms promised to manufacture high precision components and sub-systems for missiles, satellites, aircraft and others. “Six companies have started construction of their facilities these include; MTAR Technologies Pvt Ltd, Zetatek Industries, Ananth Technologies, SEC Industries, Scarlet Industries and SKM Technologies,” said MM Sreeram, Executive Director, SEIL.

The SEZ is being set up with an investment of Rs 1,500 crore and expected to generate employment for 10,000. With speculations that the Central Government is poised to invest Rs 10 lakh crore in the coming 10 years in defence, the SEZ is expected to boom.

“At least 20 of the 24 firms are expected to start operations in the coming three years,” said Jayesh Ranjan, MD, APIIC.

A civil aviation ministry official on Friday said that the specifications for India's national civil aircraft would be finalised in two to three months. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) formed for the project would decide the type of engine, size and seating capacity of the aircraft. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), the public sector manufacturer of civilian and defence aircraft parts and systems, has formed the SPV with the other public sector aerospace firm, National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), to design and develop the aircraft for civil aviation.

G Asok Kumar, joint secretary, civil aviation ministry, said that it might take seven to eight years to develop the first prototype.

"The SPV would decide the type of engine and whether the number of seats should be 70, 80 or 100," he said at the ongoing India Aviation 2014, country's largest civil aviation show.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in July last year had approved a high-powered committee to design and manufacture the civil aircraft. The project for building the indigenous aircraft was initially estimated to cost Rs 4,355 crore.

The CAPAC meeting discussed draft national aeronautics policy and also reviewed the regulations to promote aeronautical products manufacturing in the country.