Tamil Nadu govt committed to building airport in Hosur: Minister

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on Friday assured industry associations in Hosur that it was committed to building an exclusive airport for the industrial town as announced by Chief Minister M K Stalin on the floor of the Assembly in June 2024.

Industries Minister T R B Raaja, who is on a two-day visit to Hosur, also said the city will witness an exponential growth in the next five years due to continuous flow of investments in various sectors, especially electronics and electric vehicles.

Sources told DH that Raaja during his meeting with representatives from Hosur Small and Tiny Industries Association (HOSTIA) that the government has fast-tracked the process of choosing the location for the airport and that there was no change in its announcement.

"He was categorical that the government will build an airport in Hosur and that a final decision on the location will be made once the Airports Authority of India submits a final report on the feasibility of building the airport in two shortlisted locations," an entrepreneur, who attended the meeting, told DH.

A source said the AAl is currently undertaking a detailed study of the two locations, including villages close to Belagondapalli where Taneja Aerospace and Aviation Limited (TAAL) operates a private airport. "We are waiting for the report. Once we have the detailed report, things will get clear," the source added.

In September-October 2024, the AAl surveyed five locations suggested by the Tamil Government, which shortlisted two from it. The AAI was asked to conduct a detailed study of the two sites and the work is on, the sources said.

The government is going ahead with shortlisting the sites to house the airport as it believes building a new facility will take at least six to seven years and by then, the concessionaire agreement might expire. The sources also said the Tamil Nadu government is in touch with BIAL for the past three years and might be willing to work with it.

The Tamil Nadu government’s move also comes close on the heels of Karnataka mulling a second airport for Bengaluru.

The new airport in Hosur is also likely to cater to people living in many areas of south Bengaluru due to their proximity to the Tamil Nadu town.

Hosur is home to about 500 big industries and 3,000 MSMEs and now hosts Tata Electronics Private Limited, a key supplier of Cupertino-based Apple Inc and electric vehicle majors like Ola, Ather, Simple Energy, and TVS motor company.