PM Modi unveils India's biggest helicopter manufacturing facility in Tumakuru
Tumakuru (K'taka), Feb 6: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's helicopter factory -- the country's largest chopper manufacturing facility -- in Tumakuru district of Karnataka.
Bengaluru-headquartered HAL plans to produce more than 1,000 helicopters in the range of 3-15 tonne with a total business of more than Rs 4 lakh crore over a period of 20 years at this facility in Gubbi taluk, officials said.
The factory, spread across 615 acres for which the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone in 2016, would initially manufacture Light Utility Helicopters (LUH)).
It will enable India to meet its entire requirement of helicopters without import and giving much-needed fillip to the Prime Minister's vision of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' in helicopter design, development, and manufacture, they said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and senior officials of Ministry of Defence were among those present on the occasion.
"It is a dedicated new greenfield helicopter factory which will enhance India's capacity and ecosystem to build helicopters," Singh said.
Assembly polls in Karnataka are due by May.
PM Modi unveiled the LUH, which has been flight tested. The LUH is an indigenously designed and developed three-tonne class, single-engine multipurpose utility helicopter. Initially, the factory will produce around 30 helicopters per year and can be enhanced to 60 and then 90 every year in a phased manner, according to the Defence Ministry.
The factory will be augmented to produce other helicopters such as Light Combat Helicopters (LCHs) and Indian Multirole Helicopters (IMRHs). It will also be used for maintenance, repair and overhaul of LCH, LUH, Civil Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and IMRH in the future.
Potential exports of civil LUH will also be catered to from this factory, which is being equipped with state-of-the-art Industry 4.0 standard tools and techniques for its operations, officials said.
The proximity of the factory, with the existing HAL facilities in Bengaluru, will boost the aerospace manufacturing ecosystem in the region and support skill and infrastructure development such as schools, colleges and residential areas, it was noted.
The factory is fully operational after the establishment of facilities like heli-runway, flight hangar, final assembly hangar, structure assembly hangar, air traffic control and various supporting service facilities, officials said.
Speaking at inauguration of HAL manufacturing facility and other development works in Tumakuru, Karnataka. https://t.co/3EXjZG3IkB
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 6, 2023
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No BJP or Modi wave in country, says Congress leader DK Shivakumar
Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 16: Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said that there was no BJP or Modi wave in the country and asserted that the INDIA bloc will form government at the Centre.
Shivakumar, also the Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, was in the southern state to campaign for party candidates in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
He said that there was no wave in favour of the BJP or the prime minister and it was evident from the fact that the saffron party was not fielding around 100 of its sitting MPs across India in the coming polls.
Shivakumar also took potshots at the BJP's candidate from Thiruvananthapuram LS constituency, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, by questioning what contribution he had made to Kerala's development.
The Karnataka Deputy CM also said that Chandrasekhar was morally obligated to resign as a minister before contesting in the elections.
Chandrasekhar is Union Minister of State for Information Technology and Electronics.
Shivakumar expressed confidence that Shashi Tharoor, the sitting MP from Thiruvananthapuram, would win again from there.
The Karnataka Congress chief took part in the roadshows of Tharoor and KPCC chief K Sudhakaran in Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur, respectively.
The Lok Sabha elections will be held in Kerala on April 26 and the results will be declared on June 4.
ദൈവത്തിന്റെ സ്വന്തം നാടായ കേരളത്തിന് എന്റെ ഹൃദയ പൂർവമായ നമസ്കാരം 🙏
— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) April 16, 2024
Humbled by the outpouring of love and support given by the people of Trivandrum constituency during a road show for Congress Party candidate and Senior Leader Shri. @ShashiTharoor
Some memorable snippets from… pic.twitter.com/H31JH2sj3b
