Among domestic aerospace companies in India, the leader by far is Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (H.A.L, and not pronounced Hal in India) headquartered in Bangalore. Ranking 36th worldwide on the Defense News 100 in 2012, H.A.L had 2012 sales of Rs 14,204 crores or roughly $2.8 billion. It collaborates with American, French, Indian, Israeli, Russian and UK agencies in design, fabrication and supply of civilian and military aircraft. The company also has factories in Hyderabad, Kanpur, Koraput, Korwa, Lucknow and Nasik besides Bangalore. H.A.L. is owned 100% by India’s Ministry of Defence via its Department of Defence Production.
Other domestic aerospace companies in India include Bharat Electronics Ltd and Electronic Corporation of India Ltd also owned by the Government of India. Both offer products to aerospace, security and other markets. A special joint venture between Russia and India is Brahmos, 50.5 percent owned by India’s Defense Research and Development Organization and 49.5 percent by Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyenia. Brahmos designs and manufactures supersonic cruise missiles.
Domestic aerospace companies in India that are privately owned include Samtel which makes avionics, Taneja Aerospace which offers machining and assembly, Tata Manufacturing Solutions Ltd which makes some floor beams for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Many engineering services companies in India offer design services for the global and domestic aerospace Industry.
Foreign aerospace companies in India must have 74 percent domestic ownership if operating in the defense sector. Companies from the West such as Airbus, BAE Systems, Bell Helicopter, Boeing, Dassault, Embraer, GE Aviation, Honeywell Aerospace, Israel Aerospace Industries, Lockheed Martin, Rockwell Collins, Rolls Royce, Sukhoi Aviation Holding Company have been successful in India largely via foreign sales or via joint manufacturing with HAL.
Organizations such as the National Aeronautics Labs, the Gas Turbine Research Institute, the Wind Tunnel at IIT Kanpur are not aerospace companies in India but do provide services to the industry.
Amritt’s aerospace and defense industry experts understand how best American and Canadian executives should communicate effectively with aerospace companies in India and with Indian customers.
