TIDCO calls for expression of interest from industries for Varapatti defence park in Coimbatore

The Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) has called for expression of interest from aerospace and defence companies for investment at its park at Sulur.

Click here to access the full document calling for Expression of Interest (EOI)

According to the TIDCO document, 350 acres at Varapatti will be leased out for 99 years for aerospace and defence industries or any hi-tech industries. Five industries have already asked for details and about 30 more units have evinced interest in the project. “We will get to know the response and interest from aerospace and defence sector industries,” an official of TIDCO said. There may be vendors of the defence and aerospace public sector undertakings who will be interested in setting shop in Coimbatore. The park is expected to attract ₹2,000-crore investment.

The plan was to develop common facilities at the park in joint venture mode. However, the details would be decided only later, the official added.

ALSO READ

India’s first Unmanned Aerial Systems Common Testing Centre to be established in Tamil Nadu

The industries that would come up at the park would be eligible for benefits “as per the prevailing Policy of the Government of Tamil Nadu for the sector in which the industry operates,” the document said.

The park is part of the Defence Corridor in Tamil Nadu. The size of the aerospace and defence sectors in Coimbatore is estimated to be ₹10,000 crore, growing at 10% to 12 % annually. The TIDCO plans to set up a common engineering facilities centre in association with Tata Technologies.

At present, the TIDCO has not specified the minimum area of land to be leased out to each industry.

V. Sundaram, one of the Directors of Codissia Defence Innovation and Atal Incubation Centre, said that at present, majority of the aerospace sectors were in Karnataka. It was premature to assess the scope for the aerospace sector in Tamil Nadu. However, if there were clear details of the planned aerospace investments by the major companies in the Tamil Nadu Defence corridor, joint venture partners would start operations at the park. “There should be firm commitment from the major players for the park to take off. There should be a long term plan for the park and the corridor in Tamil Nadu,” he said.