Hyderabad: Defence minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday laid the foundation for the Tata Boeing Aerospace Ltd at Adibatla on the city’s outskirts. The joint venture between Tata Advanced Systems and Boeing is being set up to co-produce Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopter fuselages and other aerostructures, as well as to pursue integrated systems in aerospace.
Industries minister K.T. Rama Rao was also present on the occasion. The Hyderabad production facility, worth Rs 200 crore, will eventually be the sole producer of AH-64 fuselages globally.
Mr Parrikar showered praise on the Telangana government and its industrial policy. “The JV between Tata and Boeing is a significant step in developing India’s capabilities for aerospace and defense manufacturing and becoming a global exporter,” he said.
About defence purchases, Mr Parrikar said they take time. “Army items are not procured off the shelf like TVs or phones. It takes a hell lot of time to place a defence order, with every Tom Dick and Harry sitting in the department... those who do not understand anything,” he said. He also added that it was easy to bring policies and circulate them with attractive, colourful booklets but difficult to execute them at ground level.
“But the Telangana government has been successful in the fast execution of its industrial policy,” he said. Mr Rama Rao said, “Tata Boeing facility is yet another feather in the cap of Hyderabad. The city is now one of the global leaders in aerospace and defence sectors.”
S. Ramadorai, chairman of TASL, said, “It’s a significant milestone in our commitment to the aerospace sector. With the advent of the Industrial Revolution 4.0, this partnership could boost the manufacturing sector, contributing to the PM's vision of Make In India.
CDS resolution likely this year
Reacting to a query regarding the Chief of Defence Staff, Mr Parrikar said the Centre had already appointed a committee to look into it and he hoped to resolve the issue this fiscal year. A major military reform on a planning stage by the Modi government, the CDS is aimed at promoting jointness at the top of three armed forces.
