Adani Group and Italian manufacturing giant Leonardo on Tuesday announced a strategic partnership to set up an integrated helicopter manufacturing ecosystem in India. This step will be a big step towards promoting ‘Make in India’ efforts and making the country more self-reliant. This manufacturing ecosystem will focus on meeting military demands and increasing India’s self-reliance in helicopter manufacturing. Adani Defense & Aerospace and Leonardo signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for this partnership at an event held in Delhi on Tuesday. The partnership will target the needs of the Indian Armed Forces, specifically for Leonardo’s advanced AW169M and AW109 Tracker helicopters.
About 100 helicopters will be required every year for the next 10 years.
The collaboration will facilitate phased indigenization, strengthened maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities and extensive pilot training, a statement said. The availability of helicopters in India is very low, with less than 250 helicopters per country’s population. It is estimated that the country will need about 100 helicopters annually for the next 10 years. Jeet Adani, Director, Adani Defense and Aerospace, said that they are laying the foundation of an aviation ecosystem that will serve the nation in both civil and defense needs. He said the partnership with Leonardo is based not only on shared expertise but also on a shared purpose.
Indian Armed Forces estimate to demand more than 1000 helicopters in the coming decade
Jeet Adani further said, “Together we will create an ecosystem on Indian soil that will integrate manufacturing, assembly, training and world-class support.” Ashish Rajvanshi, CEO, Adani Defense and Aerospace, said that this partnership is important considering the Indian Armed Forces are expected to demand more than 1000 helicopters in the coming decade. Leonardo is a leading global company in the aerospace, defense and security sectors. Leonardo Helicopters Managing Director Gian Piero Cutillo said that India is a big market and the need for helicopters in the country’s armed forces is continuously increasing.
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