Posted by- Neelam Mathews
Feb 29, 2012
Defense Minister AK Antony has asked Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to realign its business processes for strategic alliances and joint ventures and step up R&D efforts to remain globally competitive.
Addressing a meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee Antony said HAL should partner with design laboratories like DRDO and CSIR for the development of indigenous aircraft, engines and systems. It should adopt best practices followed by the global leaders in the field of project management, quality control systems, vendor deployment and supply chain management.
HAL has a turnover of over Rs.13,000 crores and is set for a quantum jump with the planned acquisition and production of Light Combat Aircraft, Light Utility Helicopter, Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft, Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft, Multirole Transport Aircraft, Basic Trainer Aircraft in its assembly lines in the coming years, says HAL.
Keeping in mind the mammoth role that the HAL would assume in the coming years in the aerospace industry and the challenges that it would face, the government has set up an expert group under the chairmanship of BK Chaturvedi, Member, Planning Commission to suggest measures to strengthen and restructure HAL.
The expert group has already met twice and is expected to submit its report soon. Among other things, the Group will suggest how best the spin offs from HAL order book can be earnest to ensure better involvement of the private industry in the defense sector. It will also suggest measures to enhance the synergies between HAL, the private defense sector and the civilian industry. The expert Group will assess the future technological and human resource requirements of HAL keeping in view the upcoming and emerging futuristic aeronautical technologies.
Members of Parliament who attended the meeting included Manish Tewari, Naveen Jindal, Suresh Kalmadi, Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, Kalkesh N Singh Deo, Murli Manohar Joshi, SS Ramasubbu, Shashi Tharoor, Balwant alias Bal Apte, Mahender Prasad, HK Dua and Ishwar Lal Jain.
This is a welcome comment ,not a day soon.
ReplyDeleteHAL has evolved into a very large company manufacturing aircraft,helicopters , engines and accessories each of which requires separate technologies and skills.
Such a big conglomerate is a nightmare to manage and given the bias against working in PSUs the HR and man management skills need greater attention.
Unless HAL is decentralized and reorganized into similar product groups the LCA, SU 30, RAFALE,the trainers will never reach their customers in time and of appropriate quality.