Saturday, August 20 2005 18:04 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: Underlining the importance of a National Aerospace Policy, President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam today (Aug 20, 2005) said India with its vast infrastructure and human resource in aerospace sector was capable of launching various aero systems including, a 150-seater passenger jet aircraft.

"There are more than 300,000 engineers and technicians with infrastructure of more than Rs 20,000 crore. There is a strong mission management culture and committed partnership.

With this national strength and opportunity for larger demand in aerospace systems and export potential, large business for industries is in front of us", the President said while delivering the JRD Tata Memorial Lecture at the National Institute of Advanced Studies.

"It is essential that this strength is integrated into a national aeronautics policy for integrating the strengths of both civil and military aviation sectors to bring synergy in the aviation sector. Implementation of this policy will usher in an era of high technology and high skill industry environment resulting generation of assets, wealth and employment in the country", he said.

"Technologies in the field of aeronautics, space and missile are converging. This convergence will lead to a cost effective high quality design, development and production of various aero system such as hypersonic reusable missile, hyper plane and planetary missions including manned missions for energy and water," he said.

With its vast infrastructure and human resource, India could definitely launch such missions with international partnership, he said.

A study undertaken by an expert committee on 'India's vision 2020' has estimated that with the fast growing aviation industry in India and opening of the aviation to the private sector, there is a demand for around sixty 300 plus seater aircraft, thirty 200 plus seater aircraft, seventy 150 plus seater aircraft and sixty five 100 plus seater aircraft, the President said.

"Similarly, in the export market there is a demand for about 280 aircrafts of 100 plus seater. Hence the findings state that it would economically viable for producing 150 seater aircraft in India," Kalam said.

"What is needed is to integrate the strength available in India into a mission mode. With technology partnership between aerospace industries and academic institutions, the Indian made passenger aircraft will become a reality", Kalam said.

"The development of such an aircraft calls for mastering of many complex technologies, including improving fuel efficiency, identifying international collaborators and partners for joint development of many appropriate technologies at the initial phase and marketing it", he said.

Citing the examples of the LCA, ALH, PSLV and GSLV, he said, "India had the ability to design, develop and operationalize state-of-the-art passenger jets in the most cost-effective manner".

A National Aeronautics Commission should be planned and should be given the mandate to design, develop and send the aircraft to the Indian skies soaring, he said.