JOIN USAP too flaunts aerospace park
Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have been at it since IT became the buzzword to covet prestigious projects.
With Karnataka announcing Aerospace Park, a similar Lepakshi Aerospace Park & Defence Cluster, has been proposed in Chillamaturu, Andhra Pradesh on a 2,500 acre plot. The project has already attracted three major PSUs — Bharat Dynamics Ltd, ECIL & BEL.
While Bharat Dynamics will invest Rs 750 crore for its missile project on 600 acre plot, ECIL facility for electronic surveillance missiles will come up on 200 acre plot. BEL is setting up facilitity for manufacturing radars for missiles. Also, Penn State University is setting defence and security school on 500 acre plot.
Lepakshi Aerospace & Defence Cluster Managing Director S Balaji told Deccan Herald that aerospace and defence cluster will be coming up on an ubiquitous 16,000 acre (50 sq km) mega Rs 31,000 crore Knowledge Hub which will also boast of other clusters like education and innovation hub, agro food science & tech park, logistics & free trade warehousing zone, health & wellness cluster, media & entertainment city. Incidentally, Indian Institute of Science is setting up science and innovation centre on a 1,000 acre plot through PPP model.
Balaji said the project, which will adopt cluster approach to aviation and aerospace institutes, R&D centres and industries at one centralised location, is just 100 kms from Bangalore City and 110 kms from Anantapur City of Andhra Pradesh. To be developed in three phases, in the first phase 900 acre is being developed for aerospace & defence special economic zone, component manufacturing industrial park, research & product development, testing facilities, maintenance, repair and overhaul facilitty (runway & engine based), helicopter complex and vendor parks.
It will also boast of 3.4 km runaway for aircraft coming for testing and repairs. The park, Balaji said, will also see Lepakshi Aerospace Station & Academy coming up with global aerospace players involved in design & manufacture of space vehicles & satellites, both civil & defence.