Rolls-Royce wants to outsource its non-core work and it has outsourced a part of its work to Quest. Rolls-Royce also aims to benefit from all the advantages they can gain from getting a part of their work done here. Rolls Royce has been partnering Quest for engineering services from 2004.
Quest provides support across the entire product development life cycle from design and modelling through analysis, automation, re-engineering, instrumentation and controls, embedded systems development, prototyping, data documentation, manufacturing support, vendor management, and in-house precision machining.
"We can concentrate on the core activities and outsource the non-core work. When we have access to talent, it gives us an efficient way to work," said Phil Pickering, chairman, Rolls Royce India. The designing, modelling, stress analysis among other specialised work, are some of the work that RR has been outsourcing to Quest.
Significance of Rolls Royce's tie up with Quest is only expected to increase with time. "From work of low complexities, Rolls Royce will give more complex work to Quest," Pickering added. Rolls Royce says it will give more complex jobs that would require quite a bit of "thin-king" to Quest. Some 300-400 employees of Quest work on Rolls-Royce's projects which includes power generation.
Quest had bought back its shares from Carlyle with funding from the State Bank of India last year. It is now looking to dilute a stake through an IPO in the next 18-24 months. The 12 year old firm is looking forward to raising $40 million through this step. It needs the money to fund its expansions that has been on at a frenetic pace. The company declined to spell out its revenues.
Over the next five years, the firm will invest $25 million. Quest has invested $21 million till now and it has invested $4 million on infrastructure during last fiscal. The firm added 400 people last year and aims to add 500 people this year. It has now established offices in Bangalore and Belgaum.
The firm which has 1,400 employees today aims to increase its manpower to 2,000 by the end of the year. Quest is now in the process of establishing an aerospace SEZ in Belgaum which will have OEMs could establish manufacturing plant.
