Aerospace Diary

Neelam Mathews March 8, 2013 Is there a reason why our growth has slowed down? Are we really surprised? The comedy of errors just doesn't stop. The around 13 hotels -mostly international chains- being built in the Aerocity near the Delhi airport, at a combined project cost of approximately Rs 10,000 crore that will add 5,500 additional rooms to the Capital, for which clearance certificates were stopped around 6 months ago, (of which some) have received a very strange solution that ensures they can start doing business in Delhi, AerospaceDiary learns. You might recall, lo and behold, one fine day, when most of the hotels were completed, it was noted by our very security conscious government that a ll buildings in the area will need to incorporate modern security and surveillance infrastructure.  Now contractors have been informed there is a very simple solution. Just bulletproof the side of the building that faces the runway! Really?  All hotels facing the runway have ...

Neelam Mathews Sept 20, 2012 Those worried that projects are being delayed as a result of less money in the defense kitty, might be partially right – more so in the future. Pix-lindaart Related to the overall economic situation in the country and the economy slowing down, revenue generation is poor, says Amit Cowshish, former advisor finance(Acquisitions) and additional secretary to the ministry of defense, to Aerospace Diary. “If subsidies and interest payments continue to rise, where will the money come from,” he queries. Liabilities of defense procurement are likely to build up in a few years…lets not forget, when you buy equipment, you have to retain it.” “The MMRCA will be a game changer as the initial payment is very high…(I) don’t know how the program will be sustained,” he adds.   A reality check?