Top aviation MNCs to invest in aerospace SEZ

Bangalore: Honeywell, Rolls Royce, Dassault Aviation and Thyssen Krupp are among the 50 companies that have shown interest in setting up manufacturing units in the aerospace SEZ near the Bangalore international airport.

These companies held talks with the state government during the Aero India 2011 and visited the upcoming Aerospace SEZ near the Bangalore international airport.

Already, nine Indian firms, including IT majors Wipro and Mahindra have signed memoranda of understanding with the government for an investment of around Rs 430 crore at the Aerospace SEZ.

Aerospace division of Thyssen Krupp from Germany, Axis Aerospace and Technologies, and Mahindra Group have already taken approvals from the state government.

Thyssen Krupp is investing Rs 50 crore in the first phase and is taking up around 10 acres for their components' manufacturing unit, while Axis Aerospace and Technologies is setting up an aerospace cluster comprising an MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facility spread over 75 acres adjacent to the international airport.

These companies intend to set up production facilities for aerospace parts, actuators, components, aero structure and assemblies.

Mahindra Aerospace Ltd has committed to invest Rs 284 crore to set up a manufacturing unit for aerospace components and aero structures and assemblies at Narasapura industrial area in Kolar district, about 100 km from Bangalore. Rolls Royce, which has a tie up with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has evinced interest in setting up the components unit in Bangalore.

Wipro plans to set up an aerospace special economic zone (SEZ) with Rs 53 crore investment in the proposed Aerospace Park at Devanahalli, about 40 km from the city. The proposals have potential to generate about 2,000 direct skilled jobs and about 4,000 indirect jobs in Bangalore urban and rural districts.