TG Minister Capt. N. UttamKumar Reddy inaugurates Aeromart Hyderabad 2026

Hyderabad: In a significant push to position Telangana as India’s foremost aerospace and defence manufacturing destination, Telangana Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies and former Indian Air Force fighter pilot Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy today announced that the State Government would develop three new airfields at Warangal, Adilabad and Kothagudem, while extending an open invitation to global aerospace companies to expand their manufacturing footprint in Telangana.

Delivering the inaugural address at Aeromart Hyderabad 2026, Uttam Kumar Reddy said Telangana had transformed itself into one of the world’s emerging aerospace manufacturing destinations through consistent policy support, world-class infrastructure, skilled manpower and an industry-friendly governance model. Addressing an audience comprising international aerospace leaders, diplomats, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), defence companies, global procurement heads, MSMEs and delegates from more than 25 countries, the Minister declared that “the future of global aerospace collaboration is taking shape right here in Telangana.”

Beginning his address on a personal note, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the aerospace sector had remained close to his heart long before entering public life. Recalling his distinguished service as a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force, he said he had flown supersonic aircraft including the MiG-21 and MiG-23, besides having opportunities to fly the Mirage-2000.

Years spent operating sophisticated combat aircraft at supersonic speeds, he said, had taught him one fundamental lesson—precision engineering is non-negotiable. “In aerospace there is absolutely no margin for error. A single component or seal can determine the difference between mission success and mission failure,” he remarked. He said that experience enabled him to assess Telangana’s aerospace achievements not merely as a Minister but through the exacting standards of a professional military aviator.

The Minister said Telangana had rapidly progressed over the last two and a half years from being a strong regional player into a globally recognised aerospace manufacturing hub. He noted that Telangana was consistently attracting investments from major aerospace nations including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, Japan, Israel and Canada.

Highlighting the State’s growing international footprint, Uttam Kumar Reddy said several globally acclaimed aerospace products were already being manufactured in Telangana. These include cabins for the US Presidential helicopter produced by Tata Sikorsky Aerospace, fuselages for Apache attack helicopters manufactured by Boeing, wings for the F-16 fighter aircraft produced by Lockheed Martin and complex aero-engine components and MRO systems developed by Safran, GE Aerospace and Honeywell. “Products carrying the ‘Made in Telangana’ label today fly on some of the world’s most advanced aircraft,” he observed.

Listing recent milestones, the Minister said Telangana last month laid the foundation for ITP Aero’s manufacturing facility in Hyderabad, marking Spain’s first aerospace manufacturing investment in India. He also recalled that only a day earlier the Government inaugurated FTG Aerospace’s manufacturing facility at GMR Aerospace Park, representing the first Canadian aerospace company to establish operations in Telangana. He said the large participation of French and Italian companies at Aeromart 2026 further demonstrated Hyderabad’s growing reputation among global aerospace manufacturers.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said Telangana had built one of India’s strongest aerospace ecosystems with dedicated aerospace Special Economic Zones, precision engineering parks and plug-and-play industrial infrastructure. The State today houses over 1,500 specialised MSMEs supplying components to aerospace, defence and space industries. He said the newly introduced MSME policy was specifically aimed at encouraging more local enterprises to enter precision engineering and high-value manufacturing sectors. The Minister also highlighted Hyderabad’s unique ecosystem comprising DRDO laboratories, defence public sector undertakings, research institutions and private industry, making it a natural hub for innovation, defence technology and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services.

On human resource development, Uttam Kumar Reddy said flagship initiatives such as Young India Skills University and the conversion of traditional Industrial Training Institutes into Advanced Technology Centres were producing a steady pipeline of industry-ready professionals equipped for emerging aerospace technologies.

Linking Telangana’s achievements with India’s vision of self reliance, the Minister said the State was making a substantial contribution towards defence indigenisation while strengthening India’s integration into global aerospace supply chains. He revealed that Telangana’s aerospace and defence industry had registered nearly 30 per cent annual growth over the past few years.

Even more striking, aerospace and defence exports had grown by an unprecedented 103 per cent during the previous year, surpassing the pharmaceutical sector—the State’s traditional export leader—for the first time.
He said Telangana had now become one of India’s largest and best-supported aerospace and defence clusters and would continue to receive priority attention from the Government.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said government has unveiled plans for three new aviation facilities across Telangana. The foundation stone for the proposed Warangal airfield, located about 120 kms from Hyderabad, was expected to be laid next month. A second airfield at Adilabad would be developed as a combined civil and military aviation station. The Government was also holding discussions with the Government of India for establishing another airfield at Kothagudem, for which the final nod is likely.

Drawing upon his aviation experience, the Minister said these new facilities would provide substantial opportunities for Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) operations and other aviation-related industries. Compared to operations at established metropolitan airports, these facilities would offer significantly lower operational costs, making Telangana even more attractive for aerospace investments, he said.

Addressing international aerospace companies, Uttam Kumar Reddy urged delegates to utilise Aeromart’s globally recognised B2B matchmaking platform to forge meaningful partnerships with Telangana-based industries. He encouraged global OEMs to interact extensively with local suppliers and MSMEs and witness the State’s engineering capability firsthand. Turning to Telangana’s entrepreneurs, he urged them to compete relentlessly on quality and seize opportunities to become integral parts of global aerospace value chains.

Reiterating Telangana’s investor-friendly approach, the Minister assured domestic and international companies that the State Government remained fully committed to supporting industry. He said every level of governance—from elected representatives to the bureaucracy—remained accessible round the clock to assist entrepreneurs in establishing and expanding businesses. Inviting overseas companies to expand their manufacturing investments, Uttam Kumar Reddy assured them that the Government would stand alongside investors as “partners in Telangana’s progress.”

The Minister thanked Advanced Business Events, the Industries Department, TGIC, sponsors, co-sponsors and all participating organisations for organising Aeromart Hyderabad 2026. He also expressed appreciation to delegates who had travelled from different parts of the world to participate in the convention. He expressed confidence that Aeromart Hyderabad 2026 would generate lasting business partnerships and strengthen Telangana’s position in global aerospace supply chains.