The joint venture of Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) and Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation on Thursday said that the production of the S-92 helicopter cabin has now been completely indigenised.
“In a short span, Tata Advanced Systems has delivered on the challenge of indigenous manufacturing and assembly of cabins for S-92 helicopters,’’ its Chairman S. Ramadorai said after formally handing over the cabin to Sikorsky at a function held at its facility in Adibhatla near here.
The company was now ‘rightly poised’ in the defence industry if private participation was allowed. “We would like to see fully built aircraft here,” he added.
The Adibhatla facility, about 50 km from Hyderabad, has so far produced 50 cabins after rolling out the first cabin with imported parts in 2011.
EXPANSION
It has a capacity to produce four cabins a month with over 5,000 parts being produced by the Tata Aerospace unit near Hyderabad.
Shane Eddy, Senior Vice-President of Operations, Sikorsky, said that the demand for S-92 helicopters was growing and all the cabins would be sourced from the Indian facility, which has a combined workforce of 1,000 people .
Later, while speaking to newspersons, Eddy said there would be investments in expansion of the facility, but refused to indicate the quantum of funds that would be invested.
There was ‘significant’ cost reduction for Sikorsky in sourcing cabins from India compared to earlier supplier for the company, he added.
Arvind Walia, Regional Executive – India & South Asia, Sikorsky said infusion of funds would depend on permissible levels.
The company was open to increasing stake from the existing 26 per cent if a higher cap on foreign direct investment was allowed by the Government, he said .
In 2009, Sikorsky and TASL had entered into an agreement for the production of S-92 helicopters for civilian use in India.