Andhra Government to set up India’s First Aviation Educity
- Jan 2
- 2 min read
By Shashwat Dwivedi
Published: 2 January 2026
A landmark initiative to bridge India’s aviation skills gap and create a global training hub
Andhra Pradesh is set to build India’s first integrated Aviation, Aerospace & Defence EduCity near Bhogapuram Airport to tackle the industry’s skilled manpower shortage.
The Andhra Pradesh government has announced its intention to build the country's first integrated Aviation, Aerospace and Defence (AAD) Educity. This will be developed around Bhogapuram International Airport.
The project will be developed under the name of GMR–MANSAS Aviation EduCity and is projected to encompass an area of around 136 acres. This initiative aims to gradually solve the shortage of skilled professionals faced by the aviation industry in India.
State Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh said the initiative focuses on solving one of the aviation sector’s biggest challenges: lack of skilled manpower. "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."
The aviation sector in India has seen rapid growth, with its annual passenger traffic expected to reach around 700 million across 200 airports. The commercial aircraft fleet is also projected to encompass as many as 1,700 aircraft by 2030. At the same time, India’s aerospace and defence market is expected to grow from $28.7 billion in 2024 to $57 billion by 2034.
The rapid growth in the sector has also highlighted a serious issue; data shows a shortage of about 12-15% trained pilots, maintenance engineers, ATC staff, safety experts and other key personnel. India currently produces only about 8,000 aerospace engineers each year, which is less than 0.5% of total engineering graduates.
The Educity will include international branch campuses and will also have certification programmes that meet the standards of DGCA and other global benchmarks. The initiative will focus on education in the fields of aerospace design, artificial intelligence in aviation, drones, sustainable aviation and safety systems.
With the Bhogapuram International Airport close by, students can expect real-time on-the-job training and practical exposure, similar to global models such as Dubai International Academic City and Aerospace Valley in France.
Key Facts
GMR–MANSAS Aviation EduCity will span 136 acres near Bhogapuram International Airport.
The project aims to address a 12–15% shortage of trained aviation professionals in India.
EduCity will offer global-standard programmes in aerospace design, AI, drones, and safety systems.
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