Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. and France's Safran Helicopter Engines will be jointly setting up a helicopter engines Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO) unit in India.
They did not mention the investment, their equity stakes or the location of the centre. But sources said that the support centre may come up in the Goa or Bengaluru, where the Defence Ministry-owned HAL and its engines facilities are based.
The new centre will provide MRO services for Safran TM333 and HAL Shakti engines that are used in helicopters built by HAL.
An agreement to this effect was signed D.K. Venkatesh, HAL's Director (Engineering and R&D) and Bruno Even, CEO Turbomeca, on the first day of the Farnborough International Airshow, which opened near London on Monday. HAL CMD T. Suvarna Raju and Safran CEO Philippe Petitcolin witnessed the agreement.
Mr. Raju said, “The joint venture places both partners on an ambitious path towards world-beating customer support in engine MRO," adding that around 1,000 Shakti engines are likely to fly in the coming years.
The Indian Armed Forces, with over 1,000 engines including 250 TM333 and 250 Shakti, are one of the largest operators of Safran-designed copter engines.
Shakti, the Indian version of Ardiden 1, is co-developed by the two companies and licence produced by HAL. It is used in HAL's Advanced Light Helicopter and chosen for the Light Combat Helicopter. The Light Utility Helicopter for surveillance that is under development is to be powered by a Turbomeca engine.
