TN eyes Perambalur for locating aeropark on 4,000 acres

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has given the much-awaited formal nod to promote a mega aerospace project in the state. Soon, a high-level delegation is expected to visit the US to woo investors in the sector.
Official agencies are working overtime to prepare the final blueprint and zero in on the location for the aerospace park, the next big ticket investment sector identified by the State Government after auto, IT and electronic hardware.
Once these are ready, Deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin, in-charge of major industries, is expected to visit the US backed by a high-powered delegation of top officials and industry leaders.
Mr Stalin may accompany industry captains and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) representatives, who are keen to explore collaborations with companies in the US, people familiar with the development told ET.
Alongside, the site evaluation exercise is on. It would take one or two months to identify and finalise the place of the proposed aeropark. Efforts were on for over a year to locate the aeropark within Chennai or nearby. Hosur was considered because of its proximity to Bangalore. But, it has only 250 acres available for the park.
On the other hand, Ennore in Chennai, another potential destination was not considered on technical grounds. Though land was available at Sriharikota, it too could not fit in the scheme of things, a government source told ET.
After prolonged discussions, the stakeholders have finally agreed to consider Perambalur district, where land is available in plenty. Already the government is promoting a multi-product special economic zone in the district. By locating the aeropark in the backward area, an ideal ecosystem could be nurtured, the source added.
17/07/09 Hemamalini Venkatraman/Economic Times

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Jul 2009, New Jul 2009