Latest news with #PSUHindustanAeronauticsLtd
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Bhujbal writes to CM, seeks new terminal building at Nashik airport
Nashik: Food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal wrote to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, requesting the construction of a new terminal building at the Nashik airport ahead of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela due to an anticipated increase in passenger footfall. The Nashik airport, located roughly 20km from the city, is managed by the defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). In his letter, Bhujbal said HAL officials had sought the construction of a new terminal during a meeting in Jan with airport representatives in Mumbai. Additionally, HAL submitted a proposal last month to build a new terminal with a 10,000 sqmt built-up area, an alternative taxi link runway, and three extra aircraft parking bays, at a total cost of Rs 185 crore through the Maharashtra PWD. "Around 25 crore devotees from across the country are expected to visit Nashik during the Simhastha Kumbh Mela. Hence, there is a need to make effective transport planning, including the air service. Considering the rise in the number of flights and the footfall of the passengers, HAL is already in the process of developing the new runway parallel to the existing one at the cost of Rs 343 crore. Moreover, it has already floated the tender for the purpose. Therefore, state govt needs to build a new terminal building at the Nashik airport at the earliest," the letter quoted Bhujbal. Bhujbal noted that the Prayagraj airport's terminal area expanded from 6,700 to 25,500 sqmt during the recent Maha Kumbh, increasing its passenger handling capacity from 540 to over 1,080 passengers per hour. Parking bays increased from five to 15. During the 46-day Maha Kumbh, approximately 5.6 lakh devotees flew into Prayagraj via 5,229 flights. Taking Prayagraj's Maha Kumbh experience into account, Bhujbal said state govt should construct a new terminal building at Nashik in line with Prayagraj. He further stated the state PWD has experience in building airport terminals and thus the new terminal at the Nashik airport can be developed through the state PWD.
Time of India
29-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
'Not a single project completed on time': Air Chief's blunt warning over delays in defence procurements
NEW DELHI: Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh on Thursday issued a strong call for accountability and urgency within India's defence procurement and manufacturing ecosystem, citing constant delays in project timelines. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Speaking at an event in Delhi, Air Chief expressed deep concern over the consistent failure of defence projects to meet delivery deadlines. "Many times, we know while signing contracts that those systems will never come. Not a single project that I can think of has been completed on time," he said, questioning why unrealistic timelines are promised at the time of contract signing. "Why should we promise something which cannot be achieved?" he said. He highlighted the detrimental effects such practices have on capacity-building and the broader strategic posture of the armed forces. "The process gets vitiated,' Singh noted, urging all stakeholders to reflect seriously on the credibility of their commitments. In a rare moment of candour, the Air Chief also touched upon the culture of restraint within the defence forces, saying the services have often refrained from calling out underperformance explicitly. 'Even defence forces have been keeping this restraint of not calling, you know, a black sheep, a black sheep,' he said, warning that such restraint cannot continue indefinitely. The Chief's remarks come as India increasingly looks to the private sector to shoulder a greater role in defence production under the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' initiative. Quoting Winston Churchill, Singh urged the private sector to seize this pivotal moment. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'Each day comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered a chance to do something special,' he said. 'What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared for that which could have been their finest hour.' In a passionate appeal, he challenged Indian industry leaders to rise above short-term profits and contribute meaningfully to the country's defence preparedness. 'If today somebody is manufacturing world-class cars, world-class electronics, world-class equipment in the civil domain, why can't that industry or some of the industry join together and say we will make world-class military equipment?' he said. 'This is your tap on the shoulder. Please rise to the occasion,' he said. Earlier, the Air Chief had said his confidence in defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) continues to erode over its failure to fix delays in delivery and upgrades to the light combat aircraft Tejas. "You have to alleviate (our) worries and make us more confident. At the moment, I am just not confident of HAL, which is a very wrong thing to happen," Singh had said in February. "I can tell you (HAL) what our requirements and worries are," he was heard saying in a video, purportedly referring to the PSU.
