Tamil Nadu's new policy aims for major push to aerospace & defence sector

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman released the policy at the inaugural ceremony of the state Global Investors Meet 2019

The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday released the new Aerospace and Defence Policy, 2019, which aims to increase the defence sector’s share of the industry to 30 per cent and create high-end employment opportunities for around 100,000 people in the state.

The policy was released by Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at the inaugural ceremony of the state Global Investors Meet 2019.

Of the two defence industrial production corridors planned by the Centre, one is coming up in Tamil Nadu and another in Uttar Pradesh. Already investment proposals to the tune of Rs 3,100 crore have come from the ordinance factory boards (OFBs), Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) and private sector units. Major defence private sector players like Lockheed Martin and LMW had also expressed their intentions to invest in the corridor, the government informed at the launch event organised in Trichy last week.

The state claims that it has a good support ecosystem for the sector, including the presence of over 120 aerospace manufacturing companies in the state, over 700 suppliers to various defence PSUs, over 5,000 aerospace engineers graduating every year from Tamil Nadu, and technicians and engineers from the state employed in large number in aerospace companies of India and globally.

Among the major player in the state are Taneja Aerospace & Aviation Ltd, Aerospace Engineers, Indus Teqsite, Boeing and Thales.

Tamil Nadu has said that an aerospace park is being set up by TIDCO across 250 acres in the first phase – expandable to up to 500 acres over the next phase – at the industrial hub of Sriperumbudur. It will house at least 50 aerospace or defence companies forming a strong base for supporting large original equipment manufacturers.

An advanced computing and design engineering centre (ACDEC), part of the Aerospace Park, will be built over an area of 1 million sq ft at an estimated cost of Rs 330 crore. The ACDEC will offer cutting-edge technology and infrastructure to support incubation and innovation.

State officials have said that Taneja Aerospace & Aviation Limited (TAAL) and Air Works India (Engg) have entered into an aviation infrastructure-Airfield & MRO facility agreement for the establishment of commercial aircraft, and maintenance and operating of aviation infrastructure at TAAL's private airfield (licensed) at Hosur. An Aircraft MRO complex is being planned to be established in Chennai which will emerge as the preferred MRO destination.