Aero India 2013
Aero India 2013.
8th edition of
India’s international air show, Aero India 2011 was held for five days from 9 February
to 13 February 2011 at air force station at Yelahanka, Bangalore. A dialog took
place regarding the venue for 9th edition. A K Anthony, defense minister
declared that 9th edition of the air show would be held in Bangalore
and also that all future air shows will be held only in Bangalore. Aero India 2013,
five days’ event was scheduled to be held during February 6, to Wednesday 10,
Sunday, in Bangalore on a large scale with 1,25,000 sqm footfalls. The
practice-display extravaganza started on Feb 4. The practice session started
with unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Sukhoi fighters, HAL helicopters and ended with Sarang
helicopter team. As many as 55 kinds of aircrafts ranging from supersonic
fighters to unmanned aerial vehicles to vintage aircraft were expected to land
in Bangalore by
Tuesday. The main attractions of this show were going to be the Russian Knights
aerobatics team, Flying Bulls aerobatics team and others. One of the recent
procurements of Indian Air Force, Pilatus PC-7
trainer aircraft made its maiden landing in Yelahanka Air Force Station on Tuesday.
Salient features of the show;
Event Highlights-
·
1,25,000 sqm of Gross Event
Area
·
Over 650 Exhibitors from 27 Countries
·
Country Pavilions from Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Russia, Ukraine, UK, and USA.
·
Official Foreign Delegations from 78 Countries
·
Over 60 Aircraft on Static
Display
·
Flying Display twice a day by Aerobatic Teams from Czech Republic
& Russia along with IAF Sarang Team
·
Over 70 Chalets
·
Two full days Seminars, Technical Sessions & Conference by
Industry Experts ( Prior Registration mandatory)
·
B2B Meetings with Exhibitors and visiting Delegations
Exhibitors’ Profile
·
Leading Manufacturers
·
Vendors
·
Component Manufacturers for aircraft engines avionics, systems,
sub-systems, airfield radars
Product Profile
·
Military and civil aircraft
·
Vital components for aircraft engines, avionics, systems,
sub-systems, airfield radars
·
Latest technology used in the air defense sector
Visitors
Profile
Top decision makers from
·
Ministry of Defense
·
Armed Forces
·
Defense Research &
Development Organisation (DRDO)
·
Members of Council of Ministers
·
Military delegation from
overseas
·
Civil aviation and airport maintenance sector
Exhibition Timings
Business
Visitors:
6th
Feb, 2013 (Wednesday): 2pm-6pm
7th
& 8th Feb 2013 (Thursday & Friday): 10am- 6pm
General Visitors:
9th
& 10th Feb. 2013 (Saturday & Sunday): 10am- 6pm
Ticket Rates
Business Visitors
to Exhibition area
(Valid for all
areas exluding chalets
-6,7& 8 Feb) …….Rs
2000/$35 per day/entry
General Visitor
Ticket for Air Display
Viewing Area- (6,7
& 8 Feb) …..Rs
400/$15 per day/entry
General Visitor
Ticket for Air Display
Area (9 & 19
Feb)
…..Rs 500/$20 per day/entry
General Visitor
for Exhibition Area
(9 & 10 Feb) ……...Rs
1000/$30 per day/entry
To buy Visitors
and General Visitor tickets, they can approach branches of Axis Bank at
Jayanagar, Malleshwaram, Koramangala, Cox Town,
White Field, Indiranagar and Vijayanagar and Metro branch in Bangalore.
Children below 16 years are not permitted on
business days i.e. 6,7&8 Feb. ADVA area has no age restriction for children
on all days.
Business Visitors
and General Visitors for Exhibition can enter through Gate No. 5. ADVA Visitors
can enter through Gate No. 8 & 9..
Gate will be opened
two hours before the event time. Visitors are requested to reach well in time
to avoid traffic snarls.
Follow These Rule
·
Photo ID mandatory for entry.
·
All General Visitors to undergo security check.
·
Food items are not allowed.
Following items will not be permitted:
firearms, weapons, knives
(including pocket knives & multi
tools), replica or toy weapons,
laser pointers, pockets of any kind
·
Organisers reserve the right to deny access to any individual
·
Tickets once sold are not refundable/ non-transferable.
·
Registration not required to children below 5 years old
·
Children aged 5-15 years can provide ID card or accompanying
Parents ID card
as proof of verification
·
Registration for visitors and sale of tickets is on line, wherin a
unique ID would be generated on filling the details. Tickets can be collected
from 10 tickets collection centers in the city on production of unique ID
generated.
·
Please carry your
registration ID and/or proof of online payment
to facilitate issue of ticket
·
No over the counter sale of tickets this time. For details, please
visit
Demand for Luxury cars During 2013.
The biennial air show would
see delegates from 29 countries and 675 visitors from 380 foreign companies. Over 300 luxury cars were snapped for
five-day events. The booking for luxury cars for the aero show started two
months ahead of the event. Car rental companies in the city were forced to
bring in more cars from neighboring states like Tamil Nadu and Karala
Savaari, a car rental pan
India company in the city, has over 3000 cars of all shapes and sizes across
India. 15 percent of their cars comprise luxury cars like Toyato Camry and
Mercides E Class. 60 percent of their luxury cars were booked during normal
period.
It was not just the demand
that is making happy, but also the fact that they are getting their fair share.
Normally, the cars are booked through agents and five star hotels and the
rental companies get the much lower than they charge. The direct booking by
customers during Aero India
could enjoy full rate themselves.
Cavery Rentals normally
get Rs 10,000 for an eight-hour day (or 80 km) for renting out a Merc S Class
during normal business days. However, during the air show, they got Rs 30,000
or three times the regular rates. Their fleet includes 10 luxury cars
comprising Mercs, camry, Audi, BMW and CRVs.
An Audi A6 that fetches Rs
6,500-Rs 7,000 a day, now get Rs 15,000 for the same eight hour-80 km deal.
Cab India who runs
over 200 luxury cars in select cities brought at least seven to eight cars from
other cities. At least 35 of their cars were dedicated for Aero India demand.
Car Rental companies feel
there was a massive hike in road tax last year and they were forced to pass it
on to their customers
The demand for hotel-rooms
had surpassed the expectation. Roomc rentals in premier city hotels touched the
Rs 25,000 mark. The average room occupancy rate was between 95% and 98%, with
some hotels chock-a-block with 100% occupancy.
Many Aero India visitors
stay back till they finalise their deals, while a few go sight-seeing before
they leave.
BMTC Bus Service to Aero India show
BMTC (Bangalore
Metropolitan Transport Corporation)) arranged special buses from Wednesday to
Sunday from various areas in the city to the show at the Air Force Base in
Yelahanka. Kempegowda bus stand, Mnekshaw
Pared Ground (MG Road),
Hebbal Ring Road
junction and Yelahanka NES were the pick-up points for the buses. Buses were
arranged to carry passengers from Silk Board, Koramangala bus depot and from
bus stands at Jayanagar and Yeshwantpur. Parking space was provided for the
vehicles of bus passengers at Yeshwantpur, Shantinagar Koramangala and
Jayanagar bus terminals. A trip from MG
Road and Kempegowda bus station to Yelahanka Air
Force Base was to cost Rs 26, and from Yelahanka police station it was to cost
Rs 15.
Aero India 2013 affects Flight Schedule of BIA
Air Force station in
Yelahanka and Bangalore International Air Port are not far from each other.
Flight timings will be affected between February 2 and 10 because of Aero India
show. Airport operations will cease for few hours each day. Airport closure
timings would be;
Feb 2-4…..10-30 am to 12 pm and 2-4
pm..practic Day
Feb 5 ……10-30am to 12pm ….. Practice Day
Feb 6-10…10-30am to 12pm ……Aero India 2013
Airlines will inform
passengers about changes in flight schedules and cancelled/revised timings.
Passengers could also check www.bangaluruairport.com
for latest information
City’s Diverse Culinary Offerings
JSM corporation has under its
umbrella restaurants like Hard Rock Café, California Pizza Kitchen, Trader
Vic’s and Mai Tai Trader Vic’s. They were all set to welcome Aero India 2013
delegates. During five days of the air show, each one of the JSM brands offered
either complimentary beverage or appetizer to the dignitaries upon producing
their Aero India visitor i-card. Each outlet provided an eclectic ambience and
attentive service so that each delegate could expect a great dining .
Inaugation of Aero India 2013
Aero India 2013 air show
was scheduled to fire off from Wednesday, February 6. On Tuesday, February 5,
one day to go for regular show, the practice display at Yelahanka air force
station started preparation for the aerobatic extravaganza which was also a
crowd puller. The morning practice session started with unmanned Aerial
vehicle, Sukhoi fighters and HAL’s helicopters and ended with Sarang helicopter
team. As many as 55 kinds of aircraft, ranging
from supersonic fighters to unmanned aerial vehicles to vintage aircraft would
be landing in Bangalore. Some of the main attractions of this year were expected
to be Russian Knights aerobatic team, Flying Bulls aerobatic team and others.
Among other aircraft showcased were the Light Combat Aircraft of HAL and its
naval version, Light Combat Helicopter Rudra, the armed advanced light
helicopter, Dassault Rafale, the new multi-role combat aircraft India is
procuring and others. Apart from these, organizers had promised a glimpse of India’s fifth
generation fighter aircraft produced by HAL with their Russian counterparts.
On Tuesday, February 5, an
International Seminar was held on the side lines of Aero India 2013, A K
Anthony, defense minister speaking in the seminar said, “We have to operate at
a higher speed as delay in delivery is still a problem. We have to reduce delay
and increase quality. The main aim of the new defense production policy is to
increase indigenous content and avoid imports. When I took over as defense
minister, 99% people criticized DRDO, now there are many who appreciate its
achievements.”
“Research and development
(R&D), especially in the defense and aerospace sectors is mostly government
funded. Now, private companies have the opportunity to chip in by making the
best of the government’s offset policy. I am not satisfied with government
funding in R&D. If we want to keep development momentum on par with the
growth of the country, we have to spend more,” Anthony said. Thus, the defense
minister frowned on delays and called for more R&D funding.
Chief of Air Staff
supplemented the views of the defense minister and lashed out against delays in
projects, “So far, our modernization plans have been restricted due to
slippages in the timeliness of many of our projects. Indian Air Force is
currently transforming into a multi-strategic force by signing 325 capital
contracts worth $ 28.5 billion since the 11th Five Year Plan. Of these
, 217 contracts worth $ 15.5 billion were awarded to Indian defense companies.”
Further Chief of Air Staff agreed with the defense minister, “The R&D
expenditure of major public sector companies like HAL is currently 7%. It
should go up at least 12-15 % to make viable progress. The two areas we have to
focus on are R&D efforts and quality control,” he emphasized.
On Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 10.05am formal inauguration ceremony
of 30 minutes took place on a makeshift dais. Defense minister, A K Anthony in
the presence of chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force and in the presence of aviation experts from 26 countries inaugurated
the show. The mobile dais was shifted out to make way for the metal birds to
take off and land. Three copters flew past signaling the opening of the show.
Thereafter the regular air show continued.
Lighjt Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas
LCA is an aircraft in
evolution, designed by Aeronautical Development agency manufactured
indigenously by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). First LCA was on its first
flight on January 4, 2001. There was a stage when the LCA project was about to
shelved, but with the intervention of Ratan Tata, program was continued. After
ten years, the same LCA got initial operation clearance (IOC) on January 10, 2011. During Aero India 2011, LCA had expressed
sheer majesty in the sky and earned the appreciation of Ratan Tata.
LCA program is most ambitious
one in the country. LCA is expected to get final operation clears (FOC) in
about two years and then to weaponize it. On Tuesday, February 5, 2013, Chief of Air Staff
said, “LCA would be inducted into operational service by 2015. IOC of Tejas was
completed two years ago. Final deployment in IAF has been put off due to
several issues. Recently, we went for high altitude trials. LCA engine did not work
at that altitude. So, LCA will be modified and has to undergo retrials. Delays
are normal in development project such as the LCA. The aircraft will take part
in the exercise ‘Ironfist’ to be held at Pokhran in Rajastan on February 22.
Then, Tejas will be firing the R-73 missile along with laser guided bombs. The
IAF is planning to induct 350-400 aircraft in the 12th Defense Plan
period.”
It appears, LCA and
Suneeth Krishna have been made for each other. Suneeth Krishna
was the man who chased the first infant LCA on its first flight on January 4,
2011. He was the first man flying the adult LCA in its 11th year
through 1500 flights. Suneeth is convinced that the LCA is a pilot aircraft,
one of the safest aircraft to fly. He says, “ LCA is now a ‘do a 6G’, as is
said in pilot lingo and it is expected to do 8G and about 28 degree vertical
flight after final operational clearance.
Suneeth Krishna being
Group Capt dazzled the audience with twists, turns and somersaults from the
cockpit of LCA Tejas during Aero India 2013. He has been a fighter pilot with
the Indian Air Force for 23 years. He recently joined the ADA as a test pilot. He says, “ The
technology used in the LCA is a state of art. It has a full glass cockpit and
comes with modern avionics. It has a sophisticated computer with Helmet Mounted
Display System.” About recent failure of the LCA in high altitude tests,
Suneeth Krishna says, “We did not fail but we found faults and now we can make
the system better.” He said, “The ground pressure refueling system has been
integrated in the latest models of LCA since 2012 which allows the fuel tank of
the plane to be filled in about five minutes, unlike the older models which
took more than30 minutes to fuel up on the ground.”
Russian Knights
Russians Knights
(Russikiye Vityazi), is Russian Air Force aerobatic team. The team programmed
to fly their Sukhoi Su-27 and Su-27 UB single seater fighters. The aircraft were
designed during the cold war era to counter NATO planes. These do not use
engines which emit smoke, like many other aerobatic teams.
The team was expected to
arrive at Yelahanka air base on Sunday. The performance of Russian Knights was
billed to be one of the star attractions. The team failed to arrive due to bad
weather; they were expected to reach Bangalore
on Tuesday, a day ahead of the Aero India. Now, the organizers were
hoping that the team would land at least on Thursday. The Russian ambassador to
India
said, “Bad weather in both Russia
and India
led to the delay. There was heavy snowing in Russia and the team’s departure
from Moscow was
delayed. The team reached Hidon Air Force station near New Delhi on Tuesday night. But bad weather
in North India delayed their flight to Bangalore. We expect them
to reach Bangalore
by Thursday.”
“Will they? Will they
not?” That was the question uppermost in everyone’s mind about the Russian
Knight’s coming to Bangalore.
The wait ended on Friday when some one from the crowd shouted excitedly, “The
Russians are here.” An IL-76 transport aircraft led the Russian Knights,
setting at rest all doubts whether the team would arrive at all. It was for the
first time that they would be performing as a team in India.
The team did two fly pasts
before splitting and landing. With class written all over the maneuvers, the
Russians made their point: We are here. The Russian Knights performed solo
flights at Aero India
earlier but not in groups. The team performs for 40 minutes but Bangalore had to do with
25 minutes. Team commander Lt
Col Alekseev Andrey guaranteed
the surprise in store for their fans.
The Russian Knights
aerobatic team in Sukhoi-27s stole the show on fourth day of Aero India.
Flying Bulls
Aviation aficionados of Bangalore have been familiar
with the world’s most daring aerobatic
team ‘Flying Bulls Aerobatic Team’ from Czechoslovakia The leader of four
member aerobatic team which participated in Aero India 2013 was 64 year lady
Radka Machova. She was accompanied with three expert pilots, Jiri Saller, Jiri Viprak
and Moroslav Krejci. Till January 2013, it was not clear whether Flying Bulls
Aerobatic Team from Czech
Republic would fly in Aero India 2013. The
team had to be convinced into participating with an assurance that the Indian
government would pay all expenses. The groundwork of the team for Bangalore show began;
they dissembled the four aircraft. packed and sent them by sea. On arrival in India, they
reassembled the aircraft. The team use single engine, single seater aircraft.
Flying Bulls team had
performed under the leadership of Radka Machova during Aero India 2011 in Bangalore and had the experience
of the weather here. On Monday 6, February 2013, after inauguration of the
show, flying bulls came on the sky showing their master control and perfect
coordination. Radka Machova was in command of the four aircraft fleet.
Thunderous applause was heard from the audience. The team performed
scintillating acrobatics in Bangalore.
They were upside down midair and swerving in the sky.. The communication among
the four members of the team was so good that helped them to be in perfect
sync. All the four drank only water before flying. Radka Machova was in charge
of the speed, altitude and positions of all the four aircraft.
Radka Machova is now 64 years old but she does
not feel it is too late for flying. She had got her flying license when she was
22. As a child she loved the smell of aircraft oil and fuel. The first time,
when she was put on parachute, she was paranoid. She was the first pilot in her
family and her mother was her biggest encouragement. She loves Indian lunch.
Indian biryani tickles her taste buds. Four days she arrived in Ban galore, she
was hoping to do some sightseeing.
Back at home in Prague,
when Radka Machova is not flying, she peruses her hobby ‘photography’, chats
with friends on Face book and uploads photographs that she clicks. She is the
mother of two children. Radka is proud that more women in India are
taking in the skies. It is heartening to her to see women flying.
French Flavor in Aero India
Aero India was started
in 1996 mostly as a domestic event. Over the years it has become truly
international. The US
was the prominent player in past few editions of Aero India, as were Russia and Israel. There were six contenders including America, Russia, European Union, Sweden and France who had
bid for the tender of India
for 126 medium multi-roll combat aircraft (mmrca). It was a gigantic program of
$13.3 billion and was the largest such open-tender military aviation deal in
the world. Dassault, French aviation major won the deal. That set-back appears
to have reduced American interest.
For the first time. The
French were seen so prominently in the show that Aero India 2013 carried a
strong French flavour. All these years America was considered as partner
of India
and had dominant presence in the show. Dassault’s India deal created a lot of
momentum in the aviation landscape in France and encouraged many players
to participate in the Aero India 2013.
French Rafale of Dassault is
fourth generation aircraft. It has two engines; if one engine fails, it can fly
on the other. It is more advanced than French Mirage 2000 which is a single
engine aircraft. Rafale is light when compared with F-16, F-18 and Su-30. Its
strength lies in the dogfight. Among the six offers received, India had
picked up Rafale after exhaustive technical and commercial evaluation. Final
contract had to be inked after final round of commercial negotiatios between
MOD and Dassault. It was learnt that the negotiations had run into rough stream
and both the sides could not arrive at a mutual agreement. In some quarters of
public in India
it was suggested to scrap the deal and spend the huge money to develop Tejas on
war footing. Air Chief Marshal on the sidelines of Aero India 2013 said, “MMRCA
deal is the highest priority for Indian Air Force. The deal has to go through
as fast as possible. No compromise would be made in the procedural aspects.
Cost negotiation committee review of MMRCA deal will be done by the end of
April or early May, after which it will go to the finance committee.
Big Market in India
for Defense Helicopter
Indian government is
planning to procure close to 400 helicopters that would be used by the army,
navy, air force and coast guards. Order announcement and request for proposals
for these are expected this year. The major ones among these are 197
reconnaissance and surveillance helicopters (RSH), 56 naval utility
helicopters, 16 ship-borne light-medium helicopters, over 120 naval multi-role
helicopters and 14 shore-based helicopters.
In 2007, Eurocopter was
selected for 197 RSH order; but tender was cancelled and it was retendered in
2008. The government is yet to announce the winning bid. Eurocopter company
plans to set up a production facility in India if it wins the order. They
are holding discussion with private and government partners, including HAL, for
establishing a production facility. The Euro 6.3 billion helicopter
manufacturer is part of the EADS group.
Sikorsky, part of the $ 58
billion United Technologies Corp, also plans to participate in many of these
bids. Sikorsky already has a joint venture with the Tata Group that
manufactures components for the assemblies of the cabin for S-92 helicopter in
a plant in Hyderabad.
Mick Maurer, president of Sikorsky was at Aero India 2013 accompanied by
several members of his executive council indicating the seriousness with which
the company was taking the Indian market.
Maiden Landing of ‘Pilatus’
Pilatus PC-7 Mark II trainer
aircraft is the recent procurement of Indian Air Force. One of the first
aircraft procured from Switzerland
made its maiden landing at Yelahanka Air Force station on Tuesday morning. It
was assembled at Air
Force Academy
in Hyderabad
and flown to Bangalore.
The new trainer promises new hope for the trainee pilots at the Air Force
station which phased out its age old work-horse trainer HPT-32.
The smallest aircraft in
the IAF inventory, Pilatus shoulders heavy
responsibility. It is an excellent training aircraft. Flying in new aircraft is always a fine experience.
Safety, instruments, control systems and flexibility of services configuration
are key features of Pilatus. It is named after
a mountain in central Switzerland.
C-17, the US
Military Transport Aircraft
C-17, High winged four engine
transport aircraft of the US
Air Force had flown from Hawaii
and was parked majestically on the tarmac of the Yelahanka air base. It is a
massive aircraft weighing 77.5 tone, 179 foot long looking like a workshop inside
with seats on both side and clear open place in the centre which is enough to
land a helicopter. It can transport ambulatory patients during aeromedical
evacuations just like it did during tsunami in Japan. Its crew was the part of the
rescue mission in Iraq,
Afghanistan
and other war zones.
The space of the aircraft’s
cargo door was as large as to accommodate a helicopter with no windows to look
out. The aircraft can carry 110 tons of fuel in its belly.
Nirbhay
Nirbhay is medium range
missile designed and developed by DRDO in Bangalore.
It is six meter long and weighs a tone.
It has high degrees of hovering capacity, and good loitering capability,
control, guidance and accuracy. Its key strength is the ability to pick the
exact one from multiple targets. Its hovering capability allows Nirbhay to wait
and hit at the right time. For example, if a bridge is picked as the target, it
would only hit the bridge. In case a vehicle comes in between, it would keep
hovering around in the air by rearranging the target till the obstacle is cleared.
It is capable of carrying nuclear warhead. It is designed to carry 24 different
types of warheads, thus making it crucial for various types of missions either
on water, water and land. Longer range of Nirbhay would supplement Brahmos
which has a 290 km range.
The trial of Nirbhay was
being delayed for the four months due to technical reasons. Now the issues have
been rectified. The missile will be test fired during February. It will be
fitted along with other missiles on Sukhoi 30 MKI. Once the trial proves a
success, Nirbhay will be used onboard Sukhoi 30 MKI for use in real-life
situations
Nirbhay will supplement
the Brahmos cruise missile by carrying warheads beyond the 300 km range, as it
is capable of flying at different altitudes ranging from 500 meters to 4 km..
Nirbhay (The Fearless0)
was expected to be flight –tested in February as disclosed be the scientific
adviser to the defense minister at a briefing on Aero India 2013. This
all-weather cruise missile would be inducted into the Navy, Army and Air Force
over the next 12-18 months.
Kaveri Engine
DRDO had an ambitious
project to power the country’s first Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) with an
indigenously developed engine named Kaveri. The project seems to have derailed.
LCA Mark 1 and Mark 2 versions have been be fitted with American made jet
engines D404 and D412 respectively. Kaveri engine project was an arduous
experiment spanning two-and-half decades at a whopping cost of more than Rs 500
crore has come to an end. DRDO has no intentions of abandoning the engine.
Kaveri will have other applications. The project will be taken to its
conclusion by demonstrating onboard an aircraft of Indian origin.
Aerospace Actuator Manufacturing Company
Wipro Infrastructure
engineering is in a global hydraulic business which unveiled an aerospace
actuator manufacturing facility at Devanahalli special economic zone, Bangalore, on Tuesday,
February 5, 2013. The new facility was inaugurated by Wipro chairman Azim
Premji in the presence of Klaus Richter, executive vice president-procurement
head, EADS/Airbus and M N Vidyashankar,
principal secretary, Karnataka government. This was the first such facility in India and
commences production in April.
In the first phase, the
plant set-up in a 7.2 acre campus with an initial investment of Rs 65 crore,
will have the capacity to produce 2,000 actuators per year. The existing
infrastructure allows for expansion of the capacity up to 8,000 actuators a
year. Aerospace actuators have various applications in an aircraft, including
landing gear, flight control systems, engines and utilities. Industry estimates
put the global actuator systems market at $ 3 billion. Going forward, Wipro see
significant opportunities.
In May 2011, Wipro
Infrastructure Engineering had signed an agreement with Spanish company CESA
(Compania Espanola de Sistemas Aeronauticos SA), a subsidiary of EADS for the
manufacture of precision engineering components. The pact involved transfer of
technology as well as manufacturing aerospace actuators and related precision
engineering components by Wipro fot CESA.
Aerospace component
manufacturing is beginning to take off in Karnataka, partly on account of the
state’s traditional strengths in the segment due to the presence of PSUs like
HAL and NAL and the low costs compared to other international locations.
Another major driving factor is that the off-set obligation imposed on the
overseas vendors who have won the defense and civilian contracts from the
government. Under this, vendors are obliged to procure materials and services
from within India
equivalent to 30% to 50% of the contract value. Since the government has placed
large aerospace orders both defense and civilian, global aerospace majors who
have won these orders have to necessarily manufacture components and systems in
India.
Quest Global has a 300
Acre aerospace SEZ in which it has
invested Rs 200 crore and which has tie ups with various global aerospace
entities. It has recently signed a joint venture agreement with Swedish defense
and security major SAAB to establish an aero structure assembly plant.
Wipro Imfrstrutuere
Engineering plans to double the initial
investment in Devanahalli SEZ over the next six years to expand the
capacity and add new product lines in the precision components. They have
ambitious plans for this business and are in talks with several players to
develop multiple product lines.
A Constraint of Talent on Growth of Aerospace Engineering
The aerospace and defense
engineering (A&D) sector has opened up a new market opportunity for India. But the
country is yet to build a supportive
eco-system. Shortage of talent and unavailability of people with deep knowledge
are concerns. There is huge gap between what academia produces and what the
industry requires. There is a lot of distance between theoretical knowledge and
practical understanding. In the current scenario, the country is equipped to
handle only basic functions. To attract high-end and high value work, the
country needs to develop quality talent.
At the bottom of the A&D
talent pyramid are basic engineers who handle non-core, low-end work, mostly
using tools, methodologies and processes. The country has a little over 50,000
people working in this layer now. The mid layer of the pyramid is the product
space where skills, product knowledge, expertise, end-user/market understanding
and product delivery capabilities are critical. Currently, people in this space
are in the 4 to 5 years experience category, such functions globally are
handled by professionals with 15 to 20 years of experience. The top layer of
the pyramid is IP (intellectual property) and it is entirely driven by
innovation. For this, companies employ experienced and expensive talent. Global
players like GE, Boeng, Airbus, Rolls Royce, and Saffran Engineering are among
those active in this space in India.
Vasanth Kini, managing director, Titanium Industries, a New Jersey based
company that makes high performance metals to make aircraft bodies, wings and
engines said, “The Indian A&D industry is at its infancy now. We need to do
a lot to capitalize on the potential. We need to have good faculty and suitable
curriculum to produce industry-ready talent.”
Labour Arbitrage
Labour arbitrage works favorably
for India
in IT/BPO whereas it is not so in aerospace design engineering services space.
Labour costs in India are about a forth to a third of that in the US, but in
the aerospace design engineering services various other costs are significant
and make the arbitrage play less effective. In the aerospace and defense industry
in the US, an engineer charges $ 75 per hour for CAD/CAM work, 2D to 3D
conversion or other kinds of drawings. The corresponding cost at the completion
of the project comes up to $ 50. The productivity is not the same between
engineers in India
and in the US.
Indian engineers are slower by 20% to 25%. They need some three months of
training to start on the project. To conduct a three month training expat
trainers charge $ 50,000. India
does not have good trainers yet.
Some aerospace and defense
related files are too heavy; most companies need to make investment to widen
and sharpen their technology pipeline and bandwidth to support seamless
transfer of files and drawings. Even after completion and delivery of a
project, there invariably will be several rounds of telephonic, email or
face-to-face interactions to clear doubts and clarify things between the
project team and the company. All these add up, resulting in sizable cost
increases.
Global aerospace companies
are also now insisting that providers bear the burden of the aviation liability
insurance. This is to make the designer/developer of any product/ technology/
component responsible for any direct or indirect functional failures resulting
in damages of aircraft or lives.
EADS recently asked Quest
Global to insure a contract for $ 100 million, bearing an annual premium of $ 1
million. In aviation, zero defect products are required. Quality is paramount.
Made-in-India Device to Help Pilots
Cassidian, an EADS company
has launched two products fully made at its engineering centre in Bangalore. The products
include a structurally integrated antenna and a high accuracy air pressure
measurement system (HAAPMS).
The embedded antenna is
expected to reduce the aerodynamic drag, enhance stealth and support radar
cross section in military or civil aircraft. The antenna is of low maintenance
as it is not exposed out side. The device can find applications in
communication applications, electronic warfare, radar, satellite communication
and GPS systems.
HAAPMS provides pilots
with highly accurate altitude readings that are a must for flying in reduced
vertical separation minimum zones. The system is unique as it is highly
miniaturized and modular in design..
With these sophisticated products, India has become
a key hub that supports global innovation
Trade Ties with UK
The Society of Indian
Aerospace Technologies (SIATI) has over 300 aerospace companies in its fold in
the country.
ADS, a premier trade organization
for all companies operating in the UK aerospace, defense, security and space
sectors which together with its regional partners represents over 2600
companies
SIATI and ADS Group signed
a MoU of mutual cooperation between companies on Monday.
The MoU is expected to
boost exports from India
to the UK
and to help Indian companies to grow. There is a need to develop a supply chain
for Indian companies as suppliers for UK-based companies which would be addressed
by SIATI. There is scope for identifying potential collaboration between India
and the UK in the field of aerospace, especially in manufacturing components,
equipment structure and design software solutions. UK based aerospace
industries are looking at partnership outside Europe because of sovereign debt
crises which restricted the spending capacity of most developed countries in
West Europe.
Sarang Helicopter Display Team
Sarang is one of the only
two helicopter aerobatic teams left in the world. The team flies four HAL
‘Druva’ helicopters. The helicopter aerobatic team was formed in October 2003. Its
first public performance was at the Asian Aerobatic Show, Singapore,
in 2004. It is a regular performer at Aero India and Air Force Day parade.
The Sarangs promise a new
exciting dimension of aerobatics. The Advanced Light Helicopters enter in an
inverted wine-glass shape, followed by a vertical peel-off by the lead copter
through a 180-degree rotation and then by rotation salute. The team constantly
tries to better its performances, each being different from the previous show.
The team gives a lot of emphasis on the visual appeal and how the audience
appreciate its maneuvers.
The team was scheduled to
head to Jalsalmer in Rajasthan for ‘Iron Fist’ exercises in Pokhran on February
22. Sarang’s aim is to motivate youngsters to join IAF.
Agni VI on the Way
The Defense Research
Development Organization (DRDO) is busy developing Agni VI ballistic missile
which will be capable of hitting multiple targets in one go. The long range
nuclear capable ballistic missile will be able to carry multiple warheads. DRDO
is an integral part of Agni, Prithvi and Dhanush development programs. Agni V is
a major strategic defense weapon. Now they want to make Agni VI which will be a
force multiplier. At present, work is on the design and hardware realization
phase.
Indo-Russian Fighter
The program to develop
Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) is in the preliminary design stage and
research and development will start soon. The first prototype Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited in collaboration with Russia will be ready by 2015 and production
will start by 2018.
Although created in
collaboration with Russia,
the Indian version of the aircraft will be tailor-made for the requirement of
the Indian Air Force. The main idea adopted from the Russian design will be super
cruise capability, stealth and conformable weapons. 30 engineers of HAL are currently
working in Russia
finalizing the design phase.
Encouragement to Private Sector
IAF has been fully
committed to supporting to the private sector by giving then an opportunity to
enter aviation manufacturing through IAF’s projects. IAF and defense ministry
have urged the country’s private sector to participate more in the development
of the aerospace industry.
The IAF has done 14
procurement deals in the last two to three years, which has an estimated offset
credit value of $ 3.5 billion. The private sector needs to seek this
opportunity and push for joint ventures and collaborations that are sustainable
business ventures and not just to garner offset contracts of the $ 3.5 billion
offset credit, 70% to 80% of the work would be going to the Indian private
sector. When the Indian private sector negotiates with foreign vendors, they
must keep in mind a long term strategy.
The defense public sector
undertakings such as HAL and BEML are spending money on research and
development, but their combined efforts in modernization are not commensurate
with the needs of the industry. There is a need for adding on resources from
the private sector R&D and also from collaborative efforts with foreign
vendors
Indian private sector has
to straddle three parts of the aerospace industry--civil, military, space-- in
order for the industry to become successful.
Dhiraj Mathur of PwC
India, a consultancy firm for aerospace and defense, opines, “Though there are
green shoots in the development of an indigenous aerospace industry, a lot of
proactive policy initiatives are needed to ensure private sector participation.
The government needs to revive the 26% cap on FDI in the sector as well as
streamline the various policies to promote greater investments. Other policies
that have to be looked into include, ambiguity in the definition of defense
equipment, inconsistencies in multiple regulation, and a complex and
multi-tired tax structure that makes domestic manufacturing uncopetetive and
directly works against the indigenization policy of the government.” Mathur
estimates that the Indian defense force’s acquisition program and its offset
policy can generate investments in excess of $ 20 billion.
Aerospace Policy of Karnataka Government
Aerospace policy of
Karntaka government provides significant incentives for micro, small and medium
enterprises (MSMEs). This cap provides a major boost to such enterprises,
coming as it does at a time when many foreign vendors are looking to have joint
ventures with Indian companies as part of government’s offset policy.
The policy says that MSMEs
will have preference in allotment of land in designated Aerospace Park
and at least 30% to40% of the land in these parks would be reserved for MSMEs.
These firms will have to pay only 40% of the land cost upfront. The balance
would have to be paid in 12 equal quarterly installments. This facility is
however available only where the land cost is more than one crore an acre, and
will be available only for the initial five years of the policy period.
The policy says MSMEs
would be financially supported for obtaining certifications like AS-9100
series, a widely adopted and standardized quality management system for the
aerospace industry, and NADCAP (National Aerospace and Defense Contractors
Accreditation Program), a global cooperative accreditation programme for
aerospace engineering.
The policy will offer an
anchor unit subsidy of Rs 5 crore to the first ten aerospace OEM enterprises
with a minimum investment of Rs 50 crore and direct employment of 100 persons. This
subsidy will be in addition to the anchor unit subsidy available for the first
two units under the industrial policy. There will be 100% exemption of
electricity duty/tax for aerospace enterprises and this will be available for 7
years for MSMEs, and 6 years for large enterprises. Central sales tax paid by
aerospace enterprises will be reimbursed to the extent of 75% for the initial
period of 5 years.
Disappointment Was in the Air
Aero India 2013 was a
shade paler than the previous editions. Jaguars, Sukhoi Su-30, Boeng F-18 Super
Hornet, Saab Gripen, Dassault Rafale, LCAs,
Flying Bulls, Sarangs, Surya Kirans, C-130J Hurricane Hunter and Omega
Tanker were the highlights of Aero India 2011. Celebrities like Ratan Tata,
Shahid Kapoor and Mahender Singh Dhoni flew in at Aero India 2011. Su-30 LCAs,
F-16s, Rafale, Flying Bulls, Sarang, C-17 Transporter were the only planes at
2013 and c-quotient was zero. Surya Kirans were absent. Two lakh people had
purchased tickets for week days. Due to delay in arrival of Russian Knights,
they did not get the biggest attraction of this edition. They felt sorry for
not getting the value for the money they spent. The organizers opined, the 2011
show should not be considered a benchmark; biggest defense deal was in process
and 2011 show was bound to be extravagant. 2013 show was not military hardware
but technology and supporting industries were in focus. As many as 78 countries sent their
delegates to 2013 show, compared to a mere 45 in 2011.
General
Aero India 2013 unfolded
infinite opportunities for businessmen and corporate firms across the world.
The show also turned out to be a lucrative opportunity for the people living
around the locality to make a quick buck. With the people finding it
increasingly difficult to get passes or ticket to the show, many building
owners in the area were renting their terraces to those who gathered to watch
the show.
The people keen to watch
the show but failed to get tickets or
were unwilling to pay for the tickets, were standing on the roads. The runway
of the Air Force station is located on an elevated place, it could be better to
stand on a high place like terrace of the building, for clear view. At times,
police came to chase the crowd on the road. As the number of people making a
beeline to climb on to the terraces increased, the building owners began
charging them Rs 50 per person per show for entry to their terrace for watching
the show. The owners offered bottles of water free of cost.
Medical Emergency Cases
On the third day of the
show, a woman was taken to the medical care centre. The woman had fainted due
to sheer exhaustion. She received immediate medical care. She was taken by an
amblance to the main medical centre for the further treatment
There were over 500 cases
of medical emergency at the Aero India 2013 show. Nearly a third of these cases
were reported after February 6. Two medical attendants were kept on toes at
Hall E. The main medical cell within the control room co-ordinates all
emergency cases.
The cases reported
included that of hypertension and hyper- glycemia (high sugar level in the
blood) leading to fainting due to simple exhaustion. The extraordinary noise
level due to the constant take off and mid-air maneuvers of fighter jets have
only caused to aggravating the condition for those who were either too weak or
too old handle the heat.
Aero India 2013
On the concluding day of
Aero India
2013, it was announced that the tenth edition
of Aero India
show i.e. Aero India
2015 will be held in Bangalore
from February 18 to 22, 2015.
*********
S. Somanath
Salimath, B.E., D.F.E.(Germany)
Bangalore (India)
Phone: 080-2343 0702 Mobile:
94483 88678
Email: somanathsalimath @ gmail.com
