To hasten launch, govt may downsize Centre of Excellence in Aerospace

Plans to scale up operations in phased manner

The Karnataka government is contemplating a scaled-down version of its proposed ‘Centre of Excellence in Aerospace’ in Bengaluru to ensure an early launch.

The government had first mooted the setting up of the Centre in December last to provide specialised training to students and engineers in aircraft repair, maintenance and related sectors in aerospace.

The earlier plan was that the Centre be set up at a cost of Rs 300 crore but now the government is looking at an early start for the institute with an investment of Rs 30 to 40 crore and then scale it up in phases.

“There is a severe shortage of qualified engineers in aircraft overhaul and maintenance. Even for basic repairs we have to look at engineers from abroad.  Bengaluru, being the hub of aerospace industry, needs an institute to provide specialised training in aircraft maintenance at the earliest”, Minister of State for Information Technology and Biotechnology Priyank Kharge said. The initiative to set up the Centre has jointly been taken up by the departments of Industries, IT & BT and Higher Education.

Kharge said three rounds of discussion have been held with various stakeholders including private airlines, defence agencies such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Aeronautical Development Agency, Indian Space Research Organisation on setting up the Centre. “During the last meeting, we provided a concept paper on the Centre to the stakeholders. Details on setting up the Centre, its funding and other modalities will be taken up at the next meeting scheduled to be held by the end of this month”, Kharge said.

The minister said the government is keen that the training institution is put in place even if means scaling down the project. “We can start it in a small way and later scale it up”, he said.

The plan is to have multiple levels of training programmes at the Centre. Engineering students can spend six months at the Centre as part of their four-year course. There will also be an option for practicing engineers to take up industry specific job certification courses as an add-on to their careers.  The Centre could also provide a platform for entrepreneurs interested in launching aerospace startups.

Kharge, who visited Paris last week, to attract investments in the aerospace sector said he was impressed by training being imparted to engineers through Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and 3-D. The Centre could have such facilities, he said.
 
May rope in Anil Ambani group
The state government is in touch with Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group for a possible collaboration. At “Invest Karnataka-2016” in February, Group Chairman Anil Ambani had announced the setting up of a centre in Bengaluru for research, development and innovation in aerospace technology for indigenous design, development and manufacturing of defence equipments.