Airport at Tamil Nadu's Hosur to benefit Bengaluru's tech hub Electronic City and nearby areas

Airport at Tamil Nadu's Hosur to benefit Bengaluru's tech hub Electronic City and nearby areas

Tamil Nadu's decision to set up an international airport at Hosur is likely to benefit not just its home district Krishnagiri and the adjacent Dharmapuri and Salem districts in the state, but also the tech hub Electronics City and the southeastern parts of Bengaluru.

The new greenfield international airport in Hosur, with a capacity to handle 30 million passengers per annum, will span over 2,000 acres. A greenfield airport is one built from scratch.

The new airport at the town on the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border just outside Bengaluru is expected to be a boon to Electronics City, which has offices of companies such as Infosys and Biocon, as well as residents of nearby areas like Chandapura and Attibele. This will also be a major boost to real estate along Hosur Road and Bengaluru Satellite Town Ring Road.

Lt Col (retd) Ravindra Singh, former CEO of Electronic City Industrial Township Authority, said: "Around 3 lakh people are working in Electronics City. The Hosur airport will be more convenient and reduce commuting time, as they won't need to navigate Bengaluru traffic. There are also many manufacturing units along Hosur Road, and their clients could easily visit. This will also be a big boost to cargo movement."

Pruthvin Reddy, an infrastructure enthusiast and a resident of Chandapura, said: "The location of the proposed Hosur airport is unclear, but it is expected to come up near Shoolagiri in Krishnagiri district. Once the 280 km Bengaluru Satellite Town Ring Road get connected to Hosur, it will benefit areas like Malur, Harohalli and Tekal, along with Electronics City, Anekal and Chandapura. It will significantly cut down the journey time to the airport. For instance, Electronics City to Hosur can be covered in 30 minutes compared to 1-1.5 hours to Bengaluru airport," he said.

The Karnataka government has also recently announced a second airport that is likely to come up on Tumakuru Road. For those staying in southeastern parts of Bengaluru, the Hosur airport will be closer.

Hosur aerodrome

Taneja Aerospace and Aviation Limited (TAAL), which owns and operates an aeordrome at Hosur, was not able to commence commercial operations due to a concession agreement between the Union government and Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL).

The agreement prohibits the opening of any new or existing domestic airports within a 150-kilometre aerial distance from Bengaluru airport for 25 years.  Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru commenced operations on May 24, 2008.

Both Bengaluru's second airport and the new Hosur airport are likely to become operational once the agreement period is over in 2033.

KIA, about 35 km from Bengaluru, the city it serves, commenced operations on May 24, 2008. While Thali aeordrome in Hosur, can be reached in 30-45 minutes from Electronic City, which is 28 km away, getting to KIA, which is around 54 km away, takes around two hours. The normal cab fare is around Rs 2,000.

How does Hosur airport help?

Tamil Nadu industries minister TRB Rajaa said: “Hosur airport will enhance connectivity and stimulate economic growth, benefiting not only Hosur but also neighbouring districts such as Dharmapuri and Salem, while also providing a significant boost to various parts of Bengaluru."

"With Hosur's excellent weather, the new airport will foster a twin-city ecosystem with Bengaluru, propelling growth in both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka," he added.

Some feel it could mean even more investment coming to Tamil Nadu at the Karnataka's cost. Former Infosys CFO TV Mohandas Pai said, "Karnataka lost industries to Hosur over the last 40 years due to lethargy and a lackadaisical attitude. Now there's an attempt to take more business from Karnataka. Karnataka must improve its infrastructure."

Hosur Industries Association president R Rajagopalan welcomed TN's decision. "We have been demanding an airport for the past few years. At present, we have to go to Bengaluru airport from Hosur, which takes around two to three hours and is also expensive. Once an international airport is set up, it will enhance connectivity, productivity and freight movement."

"Hosur is near other major business hubs and industrial clusters, including Chennai, Tiruvallur, Sriperumbudur and Coimbatore. The region has emerged as a nucleus for auto and EV (electric vehicle) manufacturing, advanced manufacturing, logistics and electronics, and is developing into an IT hub with a planned IT park. Prominent companies such as Tata Electronics, TVS, Ashok Leyland, Titan and Rolls-Royce (IAMPL) have established significant operations in the area," said Rajaa.

Tamil Nadu is also pushing for the extension of Bengaluru Metro to Hosur. Bengaluru Metro's Yellow Line, which will connect Bommasandra and RV Road, is expected to be operational by December 2024. The proposed Bommasandra-Hosur Metro corridor spans 20.5 km, with 11.7 km in Karnataka and the remaining 8.8 km in Tamil Nadu.