Eurocopter, a division of EADS, world leader in aerospace defence and related services, is betting big on the emergency medical services (EMS) business in India. It is in talks with a slew of leading hospital majors in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore which include the Manipal group and the Apollo group.
The company is hopeful of delivering at least four helicopters equipped for emergency services, to begin with. This will mark the foray of the company into the EMS market in India.
Speaking to FE, Bruno Boulnois, general manager, Eurocopter India said that the EMS helicopter business is still in the nascent stage in India. Big corporates like the Manipal and Apollo are bullish on the growth in the EMS segment, especially in providing emergency services in the remote areas. In fact, feasibility studies are being conducted to understand the needs of the market. ?We have appointed two consultants for this. The mandate of the consultants will be to identify locations for setting up helipads and the equipment to be on board,? he said.
?To grow the business, three basic components need to be in place and with a tripartite agreement between them. This includes the hospital which wants to provide the service, an operator to fly the helicopters and an insurance company to provide the cover,? he added.
The company has 480 helicopters flying in India both in the civil and military sectors. They are focussed on oil and gas, corporate, charter and EMS. Of this, oil and gas commands over 50% market share. The company also sees scope for more business through heli tourism. The current orderbook of the company for the Indian market is 20-25.