Tamil Nadu is aspiring to get one original equipment manufacturer (OEM) into the proposed Aerospace Park at Sriperumbudur in 2017.
The State government is also in the final stages of bringing out a comprehensive aerospace policy which it has been talking about for more than two years now. “In 2017, one OEM will be positioned here. The marketing and road shows for this will happen soon,” said B. Elangovan, senior general manager, Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited and MD of TIDEL Park.
According to Mr. Elangovan, work is in full swing at the Chennai Aerospace Park and a Special Purpose Vehicle is under formation. “The land development work will commence in March,” he said at a seminar on Tamil Nadu Aerospace and Defence Vision 2023 organised by the Aerospace Industry Development Association of Tamil Nadu.
Apart from looking at developing such parks at Coimbatore and Salem, he said the government is looking at a jet aircraft manufacturing project in Salem in association with Aerospace foundation of India (AEROFI).
Industries Department principal secretary Vikram Kapur said the State was working on capturing a 30% market share in the Indian Aerospace and Defence segment. For this, the State government is setting up a pavilion at Aero India 2017 (which will be held in Bengaluru) where it will showcase the opportunities for investors in Tamil Nadu.
A team is also flying down to Australia to participate in Avalon 2017 (the Australian International Airshow and Aerospace & Defence Exposition). “We are looking at B2B opportunities in Australia,” Mr. Elangovan said. State Industries Minister M. C. Sampath said that around 5,000 aerospace engineers will get jobs once the aerospace parks in the state are fully operational.
