Aviation EduCity will come up near Bhogapuram in one year, says Andhra Pradesh HRD Minister Lokesh

Andhra Pradesh Minister for IT and Human Resources Development Minister N. Lokesh has asserted that the State government is committed to developing the core infrastructure at the Aviation, Aerospace and Defence (AAD) EduCity, coming up near the Bhogapuram International Airport, in one year.

Announcing the launch of India’s first integrated AAD EduCity on December 16, 2025 (Tuesday), Mr Lokesh said, “Roadshows will be organised from February 2026 to attract universities to the EduCity, and the 12- month timeline set will commence from today itself.”

The GMR–MANSAS Aviation EduCity, spread over 136 acres, is designed as a national capability platform to address the acute global and domestic shortage of aviation professionals, and to position India as a leading supplier of aviation talent.

Mr. Lokesh, who presided over the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the GMR Group and the MANSAS Trust in Visakhapatnam, said, “The initiative responds directly to the most pressing constraint facing the aviation sector today — human capital.”

“India’s aviation story is one of scale and speed, but the real bottleneck is skilled manpower. The GMR–MANSAS Aviation EduCity is our response to that challenge — creating a world-class ecosystem that integrates education, research, industry, and on-the-job training,” he said.

Mr. Lokesh said India’s aviation sector was among the fastest-growing globally. “Passenger traffic is projected to reach 700 million annually across 200 airports, while the country’s commercial aircraft fleet is expected to double to nearly 1,700 by 2030,” he said.

However, this growth had exposed a widening skills deficit. Against this backdrop, the EduCity aims to serve as a long-term national solution, not merely a training facility, he added.

Mr. Lokesh said the State’s vision was to ensure that at least 25% of the global civil aviation workforce was Telugu, while contributing decisively to India’s talent requirements. “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,” he said.

“The State government is focussed on cluster-based development in the State for overall development of all the regions,” he said.

“China is the only country that is following this approach,” he said, and asserted that they were committed to the promise of providing 20 lakh jobs in five years.

Mr. Lokesh said the State government was giving land at 99 paise for the Fortune 500 companies coming forward to invest in the State. “TCS and Cognizant are investing in the State because of this, and we are hopeful of getting two more major companies in the next 100 days,” he said.

The land for EduCity was given by the MANSAS Trust without taking even a single penny, Mr. Lokesh said, and this reflected the large-scale philanthropic support by the trust for public education infrastructure.

Mr. Lokesh hailed the contribution of MANSAS Trust Chairman and Governor of Goa P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Vizianagaram MLA Aditi Gajapathi Raju, calling it “a contribution that will shape India’s aviation future for decades.”

“With aviation demand exploding worldwide, countries that invest early in talent ecosystems will lead the next phase of growth. Through the GMR–MANSAS Aviation EduCity, Andhra Pradesh is positioning India not just as a large aviation market, but as a global supplier of aviation talent and innovation,” Mr. Lokesh said.

The launch event was attended by Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu, Legislative Assembly Speaker Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu, GMR Airports Chairman G.B.S. Raju, and industry representatives.