Collins Aerospace looks at higher sourcing of components from India

Supportive government policies towards aerospace and defence manufacturing in India have significantly contributed to this growth

Written by Rohit Vaid

April 25, 2024 03:45 IST

Collins Aerospace has about 5,000 employees in India (Photo: Pixabay)

The global aviation recovery has accelerated the sourcing of components from India, Keshav Prasad, director, India supply chain, Collins Aerospace told FE.

The company expects to grow its sourcing from supplier partners in India by around three times over the next three to four years, he said.

According to Prasad, the growth in sourcing from India is multifaceted, driven by competitive manufacturing capabilities, a robust aerospace ecosystem and a talented pool of engineers and technicians.

“Supportive government policies towards aerospace and defence manufacturing in India have significantly contributed to this growth, enabling a synergetic partnership between Collins Aerospace and the Indian industry,” he said.

Currently, Collins Aerospace has about 5,000 employees in India, 3,000 of them engineers. It plans to hire another 2,000 within the next decade.

Besides, the aviation component manufacturer is enhancing its research and development as well as production facilities in India by investing $200 million.

Prasad said that a significant portion of this $200 million investment has gone into the upcoming manufacturing site close to the Bengaluru airport.

He pointed out that the Bengaluru site is the only facility that works with all six portfolios of the company, including avionics, interiors, advanced structures and connected aviation solutions.

Collins is building a test facility in Bengaluru that will allow the work being done in India to go through qualification and certification here itself. These will include products on the electronics side and emergency evacuation slides.

At present, Collins Aerospace is focused on bringing the manufacturing of advanced aerostructures, interiors and avionics to India. It had started providing engineering services in 2007.

“We now deliver from sign-to-production in Bengaluru in almost all disciplines like software, mechanical, electronics and system engineering,” Prasad said.