Aerospace players seek conducive ecosystem

Karnataka, especially Bangalore, has all the makings of an aerospace capital of the country, provided the government creates the necessary ecosystem, say industry stakeholders.

At a seminar on ‘Aerospace and Defence - Karnataka, the Aerospace hub of Asia’, held at the Global Investors’ Meet, industry players stressed on the need for creating better policies, setting up of world-class test facilities and finishing / training schools, sorting out issues of certification, etc, in order to ensure Karnataka emerges as a top player in the sector.

Dhiraj Mathur, executive director, PricewaterhouseCoopers, said there was a need for creating a world-class aerospace ecosystem in Karnataka. For this to happen, a pro-active policy was necessary. The State should focus on creating hard and soft infrastructure apart from training institutions, he suggested.

Kota Harinarayana, former programme director, NAL, said setting up world-class test facilities in the State would help Karnataka leverage its scope significantly in the sector. He said finishing schools should be established so that students can be immediately absorbed after their training.

Chris Rao, vice-president, Goodrich Aerospace Services, said Karnataka could combine global requirements with its local advantages to create more opportunities. He said the global aerospace market suffered high-cost pressures and low-talent pool, which could be addressed by the Centre or the State.

He stressed on the need for infrastructure development in the State to improve local offset opportunities and defence platforms.

C G Krishnadas Nair, honorary president, Society of Indian Aerospace Technologies and Industries, said one of the biggest challenges was finding employable, technical and managerial manpower for the sector.

It was important for the State to address this problem by either setting up finishing schools or adopting it, or allow industry players employ and qualify them.

He said an aerospace park should be set up at the Mysore airport.