B'lore poised to become global aerospace hub

Bangalore, Mar 9: Karnataka is poised to emerge as a global aerospace hub with the potential to catalyse an all inclusive growth for the sector, according to a Confederation of Indian Industry study.

The study ''Vision 2015 - Karnataka, a global aerospace hub'' which was released at the annual meet of CII Karnataka today, indicated that the state had not only had a 67-year old history in the aviation-manufacturing sector, but also enjoyed the status of a national destination for aviation majors in view of its intrinsic strength in the field.

Besides a large base of precision engineering industries, Karnataka was the home to several public and private aviation sector players both in civilian and defence sector. It was the base for design and development, maintenance, overhauling, ground handling and ground sector equipments required for the sector, it said.

''If the industry in the state takes care of factors such as time-to-market, quality and skills and some extraneous factors such as the offset programme, then with its sizeable skilled resource pool backed up by its matured aerospace industrial environment, the state is all poised to address the requirement of the global aerospace industry,'' the report said.

Major players in the sector like Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Indian Space Research Organisation, National Aerospace Laboratories, DRDO Laboratories and a host of major IT companies in aerospace sector have significant presence in the city to fuel the growth, the report said adding that European aviation major EADS would be shortly opening a technology centre here for engineering services, software and technical publications.

It said that Bangalore was capable of providing design and development besides simulation, prototyping, re-engineering and maintenance and testing services.

Other areas suitable for outsourcing included navigation systems, air control management systems, high level aeronautical system design, control system design, cockpit equipment support software, interior design and ergonomics.

Most of the global aerospace industries were looking towards India as an outsourcing hub for development of technology. According to a report, the outsourcing market in the aerospace industry was around 155 million dollars and this would touch one billion dollars by 2009-10.

By 2020 India's offshore market could go up to three billlion dollars according to a Nasscomn-Booz Allen Hamilton analysis.

UNI