Global aviation workforce should have 25% Telugus: Lokesh

Visakhapatnam: IT & HRD Minister Nara Lokesh emphasised that Andhra Pradesh’s vision was to ensure that the global civil aviation workforce should have at least 25 per cent Telugu people.

Speaking at the launch of the country’s first integrated GMR-MANSAS Aviation EduCity here on Tuesday, the Minister termed the integrated Aviation, Aerospace and Defence (AAD) EduCity as a historic achievement aligned in tune with India’s ever-emerging civil aviation and aerospace ecosystem. Lokesh said that the AAD EduCity which would be developed by GMR Group in 130-acre of site provided by the MANSAS Trust, would serve as a national capability platform to address the acute global and domestic shortage of aviation professionals, place India as a leading supplier of aviation talent and build the country’s next-generation aviation workforce.

Presiding over the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the GMR Group and the MANSAS Trust in Visakhapatnam, Lokesh asserted that the initiative addresses the most pressing constraint of ‘human capital’ faced by the aviation sector now.

“The real bottleneck for the rapid growth of the aviation sector is inadequate skilled manpower. The EduCity is our response to that challenge as it creates a world-class ecosystem that integrates education, research, industry, and on-the-job training,” he explained.

Elaborating on the AAD EduCity further, Lokesh said: “This is not about creating another university. It is about building an ecosystem that supplies job-ready professionals, cutting-edge research and globally benchmarked skills.”

The Andhra Pradesh government has committed to developing the core EduCity infrastructure within 12 months with phased onboarding of global academic and industry partners thereafter. “With aviation demand exploding globally, countries that invest early in talent ecosystems will lead the next phase of growth. Through the EduCity, AP positions India not just as a large aviation market, but as a global supplier of aviation talent and innovation,” the Minister stressed.

In alignment with its massive philanthropic support for public education infrastructure, the MANSAS Trust provided the land for EduCity. Acknowledging the significant contribution of Governor of Goa and MANSAS Trust Chairman P Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Vizianagaram MLA Aditi Gajapathi Raju, Lokesh emphasised that it would serve as a major endeavour that shapes India’s aviation future for decades.

The AAD EduCity project draws inspiration from global benchmarks such as Aéro Montréal (Canada), Washington–Seattle Aerospace Cluster (USA) and Aerospace Valley (France), where integrated ecosystems have translated talent and research into global competitiveness, according to a release.