Aerospace Diary

UVonline The Indian UAS market is looking strong after years of stagnation. Neelam Mathews rounds up the latest development T hanks to the government’s push to ‘Make in India’ combined with some longoverdue action on procurement decisions that had taken a back seat for the past decade, UAVs are high on the agenda for military and security agencies. Newly forged public-private partnerships are driving growth in an industry that was previously restricted by slow-moving statesector development programmes. Given the country’s manufacturing boom, ‘initiatives of development are being done in India [now] at multiple levels as sources of technology are dispersed, and are not dependent on just one or two OEMs’, said Rahul Gangal, partner in the New Delhi office of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. India’s 6Wresearch has forecast the domestic UAV market will reach $421 million by 2021, although this figure may need to be revised given the i...

Neelam Mathews June 15 2015 As part of the "Make in India" initiative, Tata Advanced Systems links up with Airbus to produce C-295 transports in country. Airbus said every one of its programs includes parts from India Defense manufacturing in India is undergoing a transition from a traditional buyer-supplier relationship to a more open and transparent one. Easing of licensing policy, an increase in foreign direct investment from 26 to 49 percent and a forecast that envisions a 10-fold increase in exports (presently at a miniscule 0.3 percent) are drivers propelling a defense sector currently riding high on the “Make in India” program. The initiative was launched and promoted widely by new Prime Minister Narendra Modi. An attempt to boost GDP, Make in India sees aerospace and defense (among other industries) as its focus to enhance skill development and build an efficient manufacturing infrastructure. Transparent policies and speedy implementation are also...

AIN DEFENSE PERSPECTIVE  »  AUGUST 29, 2014 by    NEELAM MATHEWS Indian Air Force chief of staff Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha flew the Pilatus PC-7 Mk II at the Air Force Academy, Dundigal, Hyderabad in June this year. August 27, 2014, 10:17 AM As part of its offset agreement related to a purchase by India’s air force, Pilatus Aircraft has signed a 10-year contract with Tata Advanced Systems ( TASL ) for the Indian company to supply aerostructures for the  PC -12  NG  utility turboprop single. Tata will replace existing supplier  PZL -Swidnik of Poland. This is India’s first major private partnership, and results from the 30-percent offset obligation (worth about $165 million) that Pilatus incurred in its sale of 75  PC -7 Mk  II  trainers and associated systems to the Indian Air Force ( IAF ). The  PC -7 contract also requires Pilatus to cooperate with Hindustan Aeronautics ( HAL ) in creat...