Kitco, the Kochi-headquartered engineering, management and project consultancy organisation, has bagged major defence and aviation consultancy projects of public sector Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).
BEL is setting up a Defence Systems Integration Complex on 919 acres of land in Palasamudram in Ananthapuram district in Andhra Pradesh. Kitco bagged the contract for technical consultancy overcoming stiff competition from Engineers India Ltd, Mecon India, and Tata Consultancy Services.
The first phase costing ₹195 crore involves setting up of weapon-system integration, beacon facilities, and hard stands.
The state-of-the-art weapons and radar complex using advanced Artificial Intelligence systems would reduce the dependence on import of defence equipment and help in indigenisation of technology, according to Kitco. The consultancy involves design, tendering and execution of factory complex and development of strategic business units with state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for missile electronics integration. Kitco will function as consultants for all the electrical, civil, and mechanical work.
Kitco is also involved in Phase II that involves Homeland Security, weapon manufacturing, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Electronic Warfare Test Range, and bunkers for missile storage. Blast-proof buildings and elevation towers will also be added in the subsequent stages.
Kitco has also bagged the consultancy for setting up HAL’s Aero Engine Research and Development Centre (AERDC) in Bengaluru at a cost of ₹140 crore. At present, the company is using Rolls Royce and GE engines that are imported at a high cost. The new centre to be set up on 8 acres adjacent to the present engines division will have facilities to develop parts of the new engine and design departments.
