Mahindra to make helicopters

Mumbai: The auto-aerospace conglomerate Mahindra signed two joint venture agreement to enhance further its presence in India’s utility aircraft and aerostructure manufacturing sector. Through its joint venture with Airbus Helicopters, Mahindra Defence  will become the “first private Indian helicopter manufacturer under the ‘Make in India’ initiative,” the companies said on Friday. The JV will set up a unit to manufacture helicopters for the Indian Armed Forces to meet the country’s military requirements.

“Both companies will now get into discussions to finalise the formation of the joint venture which will act as the prime contractor for India’s military helicopter tenders including the reconnaissance and surveillance helicopter, the Naval utility helicopter and the Naval multi-role helicopter procurement programmes,” the firms said in a joint statement. S. P. Shukla, Mahindra group president (aerospace and defence sector) and chairman, Mahindra Defence Systems, said the JV would produce “India’s next generation helicopters that will not only answer our country’s defence needs but will also have the potential for exports in the future.

Guillaume Faury, president and chief executive officer, Airbus Helicopters, said the joint venture would be dedicated to supplying the Indian Armed Forces with Made-in-India, state of the art helicopters of high reliability, quality and safety standard based on combat-proven platforms. “We are convinced that with Mahindra we will not only have a mutually rewarding association but one which will offer immense benefits to India.”

The agreement signed on Friday between GE Aviation’s Hamble facility and India’s Mahindra Aerospace, will initiate manufacture of aerostructures, following Airbus transfer of work approval of an Airbus single aisle package of work.An initial memorandum of understanding for the two companies to work together on potential opportunities in manufacture of aerostructures was signed last year and the new agreement provides the two companies to collaborate further to produce small, metallic complex structural sheet details and assemblies within Mahindra’s new Aerospace facility in Bengaluru.

Mr Shukla said, “This agreement takes GE and us to the next stage in our efforts to create value for aerospace OEMs and tier 1 worldwide. We are confident that this relationship will flourish and grow significantly in the years to follow.”“The manufacture of components, assemblies and aerostructures is an integral part of our vision,” said Arvind Mehra, executive director and chief executive officer, Mahindra Aerospace adding. “While this agreement makes us part of GE’s supply chain, we are also working to collaboratively leverage our respective capabilities on assembly work packages for A&D majors,” he added.