HAL looks to expand Samtel JV role across upcoming aircraft platforms, boost local sourcing: CMD Ravi K

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is looking to expand the role of its joint venture with Samtel across display systems for upcoming aircraft platforms while increasing sourcing from the domestic ecosystem, HAL Chairman and Managing Director Ravi K said on Wednesday.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is looking to expand the role of its joint venture with Samtel across display systems for upcoming aircraft platforms while increasing sourcing from the domestic ecosystem, HAL Chairman and Managing Director Ravi K said on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters at the inauguration of a Samtel-HAL joint venture facility, Ravi said the two companies have already been working together for several years and HAL now wants to take the partnership to more products and platforms.

"Going forward, we want to move ahead with all the other displays for our new product that is coming up. We want to work with the joint venture because capability-wise, they are already there," Ravi said. He said HAL also wants to increase sourcing through the joint venture, which in turn works with local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

"In all our platforms now, we want to take this forward and make sure that more and more sourcing is happening," Ravi K said, adding that Samtel is also working with local MSMEs to develop the wider ecosystem. Meanwhile, Samtel Avionics Managing Director and CEO Puneet Kaura said the joint venture is expected to record a turnover of around Rs 200 crore this year, its highest so far, and could more than double that over the next three to four years as new projects are added.

"We will be doing about Rs 200 crore turnover in the JV this year. This is by far the highest turnover for this JV and also one of the best performing JVs for HAL," Kaura said. He said the turnover could rise to around Rs 400-500 crore in the next three to four years.

"This will grow further with these projects that I'm talking about. Potential of order book is very large. So this is how we see the number going up maybe to about Rs 400 or 500 crore maybe in three to four years' time frame, doubling from here," he said. Kaura said there was no immediate new investment planned in the nearly two-decade-old joint venture, but rising requirements of the Indian Air Force and upcoming projects could create additional opportunities.

The companies are looking at potential work related to the Indian Multi Role Helicopter (IMRH), aircraft upgrade programmes and multiple avionics products. "We are looking at multiple different products, as the chairman already said. We are looking at head-down displays, head-up displays, even helmet-mounted side displays," Kaura said.

He added that satellite communications, or SATCOM, technology was another potential area of collaboration being discussed. "Another area which we discussed today, which can be a potential collaboration, is looking at some SATCOM technology as well. So these can be some new areas that we are looking at expanding the scope for the joint venture with HAL," Kaura said. (ANI)