India's first Integrated Aviation, Aerospace & Defence EduCity at Bhogapuram
By G Janardhana Rao, Business Editor
Visakhapatnam; In a major step aligned with India's rapidly expanding civil aviation and aerospace ecosystem, the Government of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday announced the launch of India's first integrated Aviation, Aerospace and Defence (AAD) EduCity near the upcoming Bhogapuram International Airport. The GMR'MANSAS Aviation EduCity, spread over about 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.
Education and IT Minister Shri Nara Lokesh, who presided over the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between GMR Group and the MANSAS Trust at 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.
Unlike standalone universities or training academies, the GMR'MANSAS Aviation EduCity is being conceptualised as a fully integrated education'innovation'industry cluster, combining:
This model aligns with National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP), NEP 2020, Make in India, and India's broader aerospace and defence ambitions .
The location near Bhogapuram International Airport provides a decisive edge. Airport adjacency allows real-time on-the-job training (OJT), live testing environments, and seamless industry immersion'mirroring globally successful models such as Dubai International Academic City, Research Triangle Park (USA) and Aerospace Valley (France) .
Minister Nara Lokesh said the state's vision is to ensure that at least 25% of the global civil aviation workforce is 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 land for the EduCity has been made available by the MANSAS Trust, reflecting a rare instance of large-scale philanthropic support for public education infrastructure. Minister Lokesh acknowledged the contribution of Governor of Goa and MANSAS Trust Chairman P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Vizianagaram MLA Aditi Gajapathi Raju, calling it 'a contribution that will shape India's aviation future for decades.'
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 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,' the Minister said.
The launch event was attended by Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu, AP Assembly Speaker Chintakayala Ayyannapatrudu, Bheemili MLA Gant Srinivasa Rao, GMR Airports Chairman G.B.S. Raju, senior state leaders, and industry representatives.
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