The Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group is all geared up for setting up the Dhirubhai Ambani Aerospace Park (DAAP) in the Mihan (Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport ) SEZ of Nagpur. Hailed as the one-stop hub for global aerospace requirements, DAAP will be housed over 289 acres and have an accrued cost of Rs 6,500 crore.
In a convention held at Nagpur recently, a letter of allotment was handed over to Reliance Aerostructure in the presence of group chairman Anil Ambani, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
Speaking the occasion, Ambani said, “We are deeply committed to defence sector. Our first acquisition was Pipavav. Project at Mihan would be the largest greenfield project not only in India but in South East Asia. We started on June 16, 2015, with first presentation and in less than 10 weeks we got the land. This is a record."
Reports reveal that finding a site that was strategically and geographically suited for the project led to extensive surveying and analysis. In the end, Mihan became a unanimous choice for its multiple advantages that include proximity to airport and testing space for conducting air tests and superior telecommunications and social infrastructure. With an IIM close by, it has ready access to well-trained managers for the industry.
To be built like a smart city, DAAP will house capabilities for ancillary component manufacturing and after-sales support. It will have its own assembly lines producing fixed wing aircraft and aersotrcuctures for transport aircraft and helicopters for the defence and commercial sectors.
It will add to the local economy through the creation of 1,500 jobs in the primary sector, 3,500 jobs in the secondary sector, and nearly 5,000 jobs in the tertiary sector. The highlight of the project is that it’ll be a global platform where aerospace equipment manufacturers (OEMs) from around the globe would set up their own shops.
Thanking him for taking up his suggestion to build a defence factory in Nagpur, Fadnavis said that Amabi was the ‘brand ambassador’ of Mihan. He also reflected upon aircraft major Boeing planning a comeback to Mihan after previously walking out of a Maintenance Overhaul Repair (MRO).
He also said that the Make in India initiative is a great facilitator of growth and fostering public-private partnerships.
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Rahul Bakshi
