Mahindra to make parts for Airbus Helicopters in Bangalore

Mahindra Aerostructures became the first Indian firm to receive a direct manufacturing deal from global aircraft maker as a tier 1 supplier, when Airbus awarded Mahindra a contract on July 12, 2016 for making airframe parts for the AS565 MBe Panther helicopter.

“We are playing an active role in the development of a helicopter-focused Indian industrial eco-system, and are embedding Indian suppliers into our global supply chain. The contract will allow us to qualify Mahindra Aerostructures as a tier 1 supplier, establish a manufacturing relationship with them on the Panther, and also lay the ground work for a rapid acceleration in terms of industrialising production in India, in case we are selected for the Naval Utility Helicopter programme,” said Fabrice Cagnat, director - Make in India, Airbus Helicopters.

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As announced earlier, Airbus Helicopters and Mahindra Defence are in the process of forming a joint venture to target India’s military helicopter programmes such as the Naval Utility Helicopter, the Naval Multi-Role Helicopter and the Reconnaissance and Surveillance Helicopter. The AS565 MBe Panther is competing for the Naval Utility Helicopter programme. In case the Indian Government selects the Panther, Airbus Helicopters will establish India as a global hub for Panther production in partnership with Mahindra Defence.

Arvind Mehra, executive director & CEO, Mahindra Aerospace, said, “We believe this manufacturing relationship will allow us to demonstrate the quality and competitiveness of Mahindra Aerostructures to Airbus Helicopters. We are already committed to become a trusted partner and supplier to the Airbus Group for airframe parts and assemblies. This contract with Airbus Helicopters signals our further commitment to work with them to develop a robust Indian ecosystem for both design and build capabilities in aerospace.”