The Hindu Business Line : Indus Aviation to open aircraft showroom at Bangalore

Dr Ram Pattisapu, President, Indus Aviation, at the company's aircraft showroom and general aviation facility at Koramangala in Bangalore, on Tuesday.— G.R.N. Somashekar

Bangalore , May 31

TEXAS-BASED Indus Aviation will open India's first aircraft showroom in June apart from launching a flight-training academy in Bangalore.

The Indus Aviation President, Dr Ram Pattisapu, told a news conference on Tuesday that the company also plans to manufacture a four-seater aircraft later this year. He said the showroom, which will open on June 10, will have a two-seater aircraft on display and sell aviation-related merchandise and pilot supplies and books and magazines on aviation. The company also sponsors the build-a-plane programme for youngsters.

The four-seater aircraft, which is expected to be manufactured towards the end of this year, will cost between Rs 60 lakh and Rs 65 lakh.

Dr Pattisapu had earlier said the company had already sold 10 two-seater T211E worth about Rs 40 lakh to customers in the US. Indus makes two types of two-seater aircraft: the VFR (visual flight rules)-equipped aircraft which costs about Rs 35 lakh and IFR (instrument flight rules)-equipped aircraft which costs about Rs 40 lakh. Both these aircraft can be used for business flying, surveillance and even for tourism.

The assembly of Indus aircraft has been outsourced to Taneja Aerospace. Indus provides raw material, design, hardware and the engine. It exports these aircraft to the US, the UK and European markets. Tanjea said last month that it has won orders from Indus for supply of about 25 two-seater light sports aircraft, Thorp. Out of this, four kits of the aircraft have already been despatched and five more will be exported in another month. An additional 15 kits will be exported over a period of 10 months. Each of these aircraft cost about Rs 40 lakh.

Indus, which plans to start a flight-training academy, will train pilots for PPL (private pilot licence) and CPL (commercial pilot licence).

Dr Pattisapu said general aviation, which involves recreational and business aviation, was not popular in the country. Hence it was necessary to ease regulations for the sector to grow. "India can do for aviation what it has done for IT," Dr Pattisapu said.

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