Aero Park proposed near Shamshabad international airport

Special CorrespondentChief Minister pledges Government's full support to the ambitious project# Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy inaugurates the conference# Awards instituted by the Society for Aerospace Quality and Reliability presented# Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy inaugurates the conference# Some 100 units are expected in the proposed park with a total investment of over Rs. 250 crores# Awards instituted by the Society for Aerospace Quality and Reliability presentedHYDERABAD: An Aero Park, catering to aerospace and aeronautics requirements, is proposed to be established near the Hyderabad International Airport under the aegis of the Federation of Andhra Pradesh Small Industries Associations.This was stated by V. L. N. Reddy, president of the federation, while talking to reporters on the sidelines of a three-day international conference on "Quality and Reliability in aerospace systems and exhibition" here on Sunday.Earlier, inaugurating the meet, Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy declared the Government's support to the aero park project after receiving a memorandum on the proposal. Welcoming the need for setting up the park, he said he was convinced that the Government should take the lead in this regard.Launch in a yearMr. V.L.N. Reddy said the project was expected to take off in a year's time and the details would be worked out with various government departments in about 10 days for allotment of 200 acres. Hyderabad had emerged as a major centre in the production of various components and sub-systems required for aerospace projects by more than 60 units, with an annual turnover of around Rs. 150 crores.He said that about 100 units were expected in the proposed park with a total investment of about Rs. 250-300 crores.Call to industryIn the memorandum, Mr. Reddy pointed to the huge growth opportunities for the aerospace and aeronautical industries in the country and said 70 per cent of MiG and SU-30 components and electronic sub-systems were being outsourced to industries, mostly in the State.The Chief Minister expressed confidence that the growth rate in all sectors would cross the double-digit mark in the near future and called upon the industry to be part of it. He urged more industries to set up units here.Later, he presented five awards instituted by the Society for Aerospace Quality and Reliability (SAQR).Tourism and Industries Minister J. Geetha Reddy later inaugurated an exhibition organised in connection with the event.Chief Controller (R&D), Defence Research and Development Organisation and president of the organising committee, V. K. Saraswat, said innovation would play a vital role for future systems, which would be required to have zero defect and least manual inspection.Prahlada, Chief Controller (R& D), DRDO, welcomed. Rajendra Prasad, chairman of the committee, spoke.