The Hindu Business Line : AP to extend support for Aero Park

IN an effort to boost the aerospace industry and encourage small and medium-sized enterprises, the Andhra Pradesh Government has agreed to extend support for the establishment of the proposed Aero Park near the greenfield international airport project.

The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, on Sunday promised all support for the Aero Park, while extending other incentives applicable as per the industrial policy and power tariff at lower cost to the units coming up in the park.

Speaking at Conquest 2006, an International Conference on Quality and Reliability in Aerospace Systems and Exhibition at the Hitex Convention centre here, the Chief Minister said that the industrial tariff for the next fiscal would be down by about 15 paise a unit.

The Federation of Andhra Pradesh Small Industries Association (FAPSIA) has come up with a proposal to locate this park in an exclusive area about 35 km from the city. About 60 ancillary units with a combined turnover of Rs 150 crore are engaged in providing support for aerospace industries.

According to Mr V.L.N. Reddy, the President of FAPSIA, which is likely to be the nodal agency for the Aero Park, over the last three decades, India has emerged as a major technology centre in the field of aeronautical and aerospace technologies for civilian, scientific and defence applications. With a slew of defence establishments such as Defence Research and Development Organisation, and Hyderabad serving as a base for flying systems, there is huge opportunity. Given the scope for providing solutions in the areas of manufacture of satellite launch vehicles, private sector would have a large role in terms of providing inputs for the defence and civilian applications.

`Weaponisation of LCAs to be taken up'

The Director of Aeronautical Development Agency, Mr P.S. Subramaniam, said the weaponisation programme of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) would be taken up and HAL was likely to deliver the first batch of LCAs to the Air Force by 2008-2009.

Speaking to newspersons, he said some 20 LCAs would be delivered to the Air Force in the first phase and this would be followed by 20 more at a later stage. The first flight of the two-seater LCA would be in October.While 70 per cent of the LCA has been indigenised, the Kaveri engine would be fitted within 12 to 18 months. LCA has made about 485 flights, and the feedback from pilots has been very good, he said.