Telangana urges Centre to sanction defence corridor

The government of Telangana has urged the Centre to sanction a defence industrial production corridor as the state has the required eco-system and it is also number one in the country in ease of doing business.

In a letter to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday, state Industries Minister K. T. Rama Rao outlined the various advantages of Telangana and Hyderabad.

Reminding that the fledgling state of Telangana needs all the support possible from the Union Government, the minister said that the state has trained manpower and the proposed corridor would generate much needed jobs for local youth.

He also stated that the defence industrial production corridor would boost the manufacturing sector in the state.

Union Budget 2018-19 proposed two defence industrial production corridors. While the first corridor was proposed between Chennai and Bengaluru, the second one was proposed in Bundelkhand.

Rama Rao, who is also the son of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, pointed out that Telangana is strategically located in the centre of the country and is home to several public sector defence enterprises and DRDO labs.

The industries minister wrote that the state already has a vibrant ecosystem in the private sector with several established companies in the aerospace and defence sectors.

The state has two operational aerospace manufacturing parks near Adibatla region, besides an aerospace park operated by GMR adjoining the international airport.

The state is also planning to set up a larger aerospace and defence park in Eliminedu and create another aerospace cluster within the National Investments and manufacturing Zone (NIMZ) planned at Medak district.

The state is planning to set up a defence incubator in Hyderabad with support from the central government.

--IANS

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