Ahead of the Aero India 2023 show, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation Asia’s largest helicopter manufacturing factory of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Tumakuru area of Karnataka on Monday. It aims to make India to become self-reliant in the copter segment.

It is a dedicated greenfield helicopter factory which will enhance capacity and ecosystem to build helicopters, the Prime Minister’s Office said on Saturday. “This helicopter factory is Asia’s largest helicopter manufacturing facility and will initially produce the Light Utility Helicopters (LUH),” the PMO pointed out. The LUH is an indigenously designed and developed 3-tonne class, single engine multipurpose utility helicopter with the unique feature of high manoeuverability.

In the future, the factory will be expanded to manufacture, repair and overhaul other helicopters such as Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and Indian Multirole Helicopter (IMRH) and would export the civil LUHs as well, said the government.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other senior officials of the ministry will also be present at the function.

Industry 4.0 standards

Describing it as another step towards Aatmanirbharta in the defence sector, the PMO outlines that the factory will have a manufacturing setup of Industry 4.0 standards and over the next 20 years, the HAL is planning to produce more than 1,000 helicopters in the class of 3-15 tonnes from Tumakuru. This will result, observed the government, in providing employment for around 6,000 people in the region.

Multiple events have been lined up in the area on that day. The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of Tumakuru Industrial Township. Under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme, development of the Industrial Township spread across 8,484 acres in Tumakuru in three phases has been taken up as part of Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor.

Modi will lay the foundation stones of two Jal Jeevan Mission projects at Tiptur and Chikkanayakanahalli in Tumakuru. The Tiptur multi-village drinking water supply project will be built at a cost of over ₹430 crore. The multi-village water supply scheme to 147 habitations of Chikkanayakanahlli taluk will be built at a cost of around ₹115 crore, said the PMO. The projects will facilitate provision of clean drinking water for the people of the region.

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