Surat, jan 7 : Navsari, the birthplace of Jamsetji Tata, is poised to give wings to yet another dream. MVP Aero Academy, a Houston-based aviation school run by a non-resident Gujarati, Praful Patel, is likely to invest Rs 600 crore to set up a facility to manufacture four and six seater Cessna-type aircraft.
The company, which is also setting up an aviation school at Parsoli village, is likely to sign an MoU during the Vibrant Gujarat summit.
“The project is specially targeting the tribal youth in south Gujarat in particular and Gujarat in general. Around 15,000 tribals will be identified for training,” said Rakesh Desai, project co-ordinator.
The project is likely to come up on the 39 hectare land owned by Gujarat government. It has a non-functional aerodrome under the state government’s ownership, which has one of the oldest airstrips dating back to the Gaekwad rule.
“The state government provides subsidy to tribal students aspiring to become commercial pilots. Every year, hundreds of Indian students travel abroad for taking up pilot training courses by spending hefty sums,” says Desai.
These youngsters end up paying anything between Rs 20-25 lakh for the training.
“But with our project, Navsari will be among the first towns in the region to provide training through local and Federation Aviation Administration (FAA) approved instructors.”