The Centre is expected to accord approval to the proposed Kothagudem airport shortly, while construction of the Warangal airport is slated to begin next month, Telangana Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies N Uttam Kumar Reddy said on Tuesday.Addressing the inaugural session of Aeromart Hyderabad 2026, an aerospace and defence business convention here on Tuesday, the Minister said the State government was expanding aviation infrastructure to position Telangana as a major aerospace and defence manufacturing hub.Besides the proposed Warangal airport, an airfield catering to both civil and defence requirements would also be developed at Adilabad, he said. The three aviation projects are expected to create significant opportunities for aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), aircraft manufacturing and defence industries in the State, he added.Highlighting Telangana’s growing role in the global aerospace ecosystem, Reddy said components for the US President’s helicopter, Apache attack helicopters, F-16 fighter aircraft wings, aero-engine parts and MRO systems are already being manufactured in the State.Telangana had emerged as a preferred destination for global aerospace investments, with companies such as Spain’s ITP Aero and Canada’s FTG Aerospace setting up operations.The Minister said over 1,500 MSMEs are currently supporting the aerospace and defence sector in Telangana. Aerospace and defence exports from the State grew by 103 per cent last year, overtaking the pharmaceutical sector for the first time, while the industry has been recording an average annual growth of nearly 30 per cent.Inviting global aerospace majors to invest in the State, Uttam Kumar Reddy said Telangana offered world-class industrial infrastructure, plug-and-play facilities and a proactive policy environment, assuring investors of full government support for establishing and expanding their operations.Published on June 30, 2026