Hyderabad, July 8 (KNN) Telangana Industry Minister K.T. Rama Rao confirmed on Thursday that an Aerospace university will be set up in Hyderabad through government and industry collaboration.

He said the state government is also planning to establish more aerospace and defence parks to further build up its presence in the sector.

The Minister said this while inaugurating two new plants of French aerospace major Safran in Hyderabad.

Welcoming the announcement by Safran's to set up a mega aero engine MRO facility in Hyderabad, he noted that this project holds national importance as the first engine MRO in the country by a global OEM (original equipment manufacturer) in India.

"With these new sites, we're opening a new chapter in Safran's long history with the Indian aerospace and defence industries, and we are reaffirming our commitment to the government's 'Make in India' policy and sovereignty strategy," said Safran CEO Olivier Andries.

The MRO and test cell will come up with an initial investment of USD 150 million. When completed in 2025, it would be Safran's largest MRO anywhere in the world.

The Minister said the state government was in discussion with Safran for the project since 2020 and he was told that Hyderabad competed with Bengaluru and Chennai.

"This new investment is a huge endorsement of the robustness of the aerospace ecosystem in Hyderabad. This will encourage other aerospace and defence investors to choose Telangana for their Indian foray," he said.  (KNN Bureau)