Bengaluru, Jan 2 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's (HAL) new helicopter facility on Sunday at Karnataka's Bidarehallikaval village.

Located 110 km from here, the new facility will manufacture up to 10 classes of helicopters including Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) and Naval Multi-role Helicopters (NMRH).

"HAL's new copter facility is a shot in the arm for Make in India programme, it will immensely benefit the local economy and create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs," said HAL Chairman and Managing Director T. Suvarna Raju.

With an investment of approximately Rs.4,000 crore in 610 acres of land, the helicopter facility has a potential to generate employment for 3,000 people.

Karnataka has an enviable aerospace ecosystem few states can boast about.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has 10 labs in Bengaluru while Airbus, Honeywell, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Wipro Aerospcae, HAL - Rolls Royce joint venture and others are located in the state.

"Karnataka has more than half of all the production units and Research and Development centres and almost all global aerospace majors have presence in the state. A quarter of all the aircraft and spacecraft made in India are produced in Karnataka," state additional chief secretary K. Ratna Prabha said.

To further propel the industry, Karnataka government also rolled out an industry specific Aerospace Policy in addition to developing a 1,000 aerospace park (Special Economic Zone) in Devanahalli.

Devanahalli SEZ has 72 projects in the pipeline with an investment potential of Rs.14,000 crore.

"With the establishment of this helicopter manufacturing (Facility) coupled with the opportunities in 'Buy and Make' option from offset obligation and availability of the ecosystem for manufacturing, Karnataka is expected to see new highs in the coming years," added Prabha.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and state industries minister R.V. Deshpande will attend the foundation laying ceremony on Sunday.

Mysuru decks up for Modi visit

Mysuru, the city of palaces is all spruced up for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day maiden visit from Saturday evening.

"Modi is visiting Mysuru for first time after becoming prime minister to inaugurate the 103rd Indian Science Congress in the University of Mysore campus on Sunday though he has two functions on Saturday evening," a state official told IANS here.

Mysuru, also the southern state's cultural capital, is about 140 km from Bengaluru.

Soon after landing at Mandakalli airport around 5 p.m., Modi will drive to inaugurate a new hospital of Avadhoota Datta Peetam in the Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda ashram on the Mysuru-Nanjangud road.

"Modi will also participate in the centenary celebrations of Shivarathri Rajendra swamiji (seer) of Suttur Mutt and address the gathering in the Maharaja College grounds in the city centre," the official said.

The prime minister will stay overnight at the Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel.

"Though Modi last visited the city in April 2014 as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate during the general elections, he had come here four-five times in the past as Gujarat chief minister and BJP leader," the official added.

Modi also visited Suttur Math on the city's outskirts during the tenure of the BJP government (2008-13) when party's vice-president B.S. Yeddurappa was the state's chief minister (2008-2011) to address a party meeting.

"As the Science Congress, held in first week of every New Year, is opened by the prime minister, Modi will flag off at Mansagangothri in the varsity campus in presence of top scientists, Nobel Laureates and hundreds of students," the official added.

Security has been tightened in and around the city and stepped up vigil at the venues he will be present.

"Vehicular traffic will be halted five minutes before the prime minister's convoy passes along the routes to the function venues on both days," city's deputy police commissioner N.D. Birje told reporters here.

Being a holiday-cum-tourist season, police has advised motorists to use alternative routes to avoid road blockade and delay in going around the city for sight-seeing.

Modi will leave for Tumakuru district on Sunday afternoon for the ground-breaking ceremony of the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL)'s new helicopter unit at Nittur, about 100km from Bengaluru.

Before flying back to New Delhi on Sunday evening from Bengaluru, Modi will inaugurate the 21st international conference on aFrontiers of Yoga Research and its Applications' at Jigani on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

The five-day conference, organised by the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana (S-Vyasa Institute), will focus on integrated medicine to treat modern day ailments.