Airbus to build military choppers in India with Mahindra

[anant_s]

The two groups will form a joint venture in the coming months, aiming to become the first private manufacturer of helicopters in India, the statement said.


NEW DELHI: Europe's Airbus Group and India's Mahindra Group have struck a deal to build helicopters jointly as they bid to win an expected wave of orders from the country's armed forces, the companies said in a statement on Friday.

The two groups will form a joint venture in the coming months, aiming to become the first private manufacturer of helicopters in India, the statement said. It did not say how much the two will invest.

India is in the midst of a huge upgrade of its armed forces — analysts forecast it will spend $250 billion over the next decade — and Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to encourage more indigenous manufacturing to end India's position as the world's largest arms importer.

Airbus Helicopters, part of Airbus Group, is joining forces with Mahindra after talking to several Indian companies that are investing hundreds of millions of dollars to capitalise on the government's push to build arms at home.

Other companies in the running for the joint venture included Reliance Industries and Tata Group, an Airbus Helicopters executive told Reuters in February.

"Together, we will 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," said SP Shukla, chairman, Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd.

The joint venture will seek to win orders for reconnaissance and surveillance, naval utility and naval multirole helicopters, Airbus said.

Under current rules, foreign ownership in joint ventures in India's defence industry is limited to 49%.

Airbus to build military choppers in India with Mahindra - The Times of India

 

[Abingdonboy]

A shame the RSH deal went to Russia....

 

[The_Sidewinder]

Great to see AIRBUS taking initiative to be a major part of make in India. In the end, $$$$ counts.

 

[HariPrasad]

We have private playesrs coming in aviation. Tata Aerostructure, Mahindra, Reliance some other company is collaborating with Russia also. It is great going indeed.

 

[anant_s]

I hope its a beginning of a new era as far as manufacturing of military hardware is concerned in India.
Apart from generating employment, it should also bring professionalism and new standards of quality in the sector in the same way as other sectors (Insurance, telecom, civil aviation etc) when they were opened to private sector.

 

[IND151]

LIVEFIST: Airbus-Mahindra Announce JV For Indian Helo Goldmine

 

[Perpendicular]

Yeah manufacturing is all good but the real deal is when these Indian companies will start their own R&D. For that we are still fair way from it.
Manufacturing is all good economics no doubt

 

[Arun Salian]

Such initiatives is very crucial for India. It will produce new breed engineers who can design and develop world class defense equipment.

 

[Hindustani78]

Airbus, Mahindras ink JV - The Hindu
The proposed JV aims to become the first private Indian helicopter manufacturer under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

Airbus Helicopters and Mahindra Defence, a part of Mahindra Group, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to form a joint venture to produce helicopters in India and jointly bid for defence contracts in India under the government's Make in India programme.

“We have an unparalleled track record of successful industrial collaborations with local partners across the world. We are convinced that with Mahindra we will not only have a mutually rewarding association but one which will offer immense benefits to India,” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus Helicopters President & CEO.

“The tie-up is in line with our intent to develop an indigenous industrial ecosystem dedicated to helicopters. The joint venture will 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 platform,” he said.

Both companies would get into discussions to finalise the formation of the joint venture which would 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, Mahindra Defence said.

S. P. Shukla, Group President, Aerospace and Defence Sector and Chairman, Mahindra Defence Systems Limited, said, “We have extensive expertise in engineering, automotive and fixed-wing sectors and have made substantial investments in aero components manufacturing, while Airbus Helicopters offers best-in-class rotorcraft platforms.”

"Together, we will 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,” Mr. Shukla said.

The proposed joint venture aims to become the first private Indian helicopter manufacturer under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

“This will create hundreds of high-tech jobs locally and lead to a flow of cutting edge technologies to India should it be selected in the government helicopter tenders,” Mahindra Group said.

 

[Hindustani78]

 

[Echo_419]

A shame the RSH deal went to Russia....

Good thing is those will be made in India

 

[Abingdonboy]

The DIPP said it has so far issued 73 industrial licences in the Defence sector in the past one year (since June 2014) against 50 licences granted from 2011 to May 2014. -

Airbus, Mahindra join hands to make helicopters in India




Now this is pretty damning

 

[Abingdonboy]

Good thing is those will be made in India

The LUHs would have been made in India regardless. The Ka-226 is the inferior product to the Fennec but was bought for political considerations.

 

[Echo_419]

The LUHs would have been made in India regardless. The Ka-226 is the inferior product to the Fennec but was bought for political considerations.

Really I thought with its modular design it was far better choice than the European option

 

[21 Dec 2012]

The Ka-226 is the inferior product to the Fennec but was bought for political considerations.

And why would you say that?