An Indian man has secured a deal worth nearly £4bn (Rs 35,000 crore) for an aircraft he built on his rooftop.
Amol Yadav of Thrust Aircraft started to develop and build his 6-seat single-engined aircraft 10 years ago and had sold his house to realise his dreams. But now it seems those dreams are paying after the government of Maharashtra signed a memorandum of understanding with Mr Yadav.
The aircraft was approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in November 2017 but has not yet flown. According to Mr Yadav said a few components are with the Customs Department but he expects the first flight to take place in March or April.
The deal is under the “Make in India” initiative, and the terms say that the Maharashtra government will give Thrust Aircraft 157 acres of land in the Palghar, around 140 km north of Mumbai. A factory will also be set up on the land to build the six-seater aircraft. The aim is to help turn Palghar into an aviation hub.
Mr Yadav, who learnt to fly in the US, will be responsible for building the aircraft but the government will provide funds for basic amenities at the site.
The aircraft, known as TAC 003, carries the registration VT–NMD after the initials of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. It is expected to have a range of around 1,800km and can carry 1 pilot and 5 passengers.