According to state industries and information technology minister KT Rama Rao, the Telangana government intends to establish an aviation university in the state in partnership with private businesses.
After officially opening the Safran Aircraft Engines and Safran Electrical and Power facilities at the GMR Industrial Park in Shamshabad, on the outskirts of Hyderabad, he was giving a speech to a crowd.
A prominent player in French aviation, defence, and space, Safron, announced the establishment of its engine MRO facility in Hyderabad for an expenditure of $150 million (about 1,185 crore).
Both worldwide and in India, it will be Safran's largest MRO. The area will be roughly 35,000 square metres. The project is significant since it is the first MRO that a multinational corporation has developed in India.
Stating that Telangana is fast emerging as a leading aerospace destination in the country, KTR, as the minister is popularly called, said Hyderabad was transforming into the best aerospace valley. Discussions were on to set up the aviation university in partnership with the industry, he said.
He stated that the terminal extension at Hyderabad International Airport should be finished by December. He emphasised that more direct flights to France and the US had been promised by the Union Civil Aviation Ministry, allowing travellers to bypass Delhi and travel directly to Hyderabad.
The minister hailed Safran's decision to locate its MRO facility in Hyderabad as a significant victory for Telangana, noting that the French company considered at least 10 locations before settling on Hyderabad because of the state's proactive support of the MRO and the presence of an enabling ecosystem.