French aircraft spare parts maker in B'lore

Recaero, the $20 million France-based aircraft spare parts manufacturer, is setting up a manufacturing unit in Bidadi, 30-kms south of Bangalore.

The firm said on Thursday that they intend to invest Rs 10 crore in this unit over one year. This firm focusses on manufacturing spare parts for aircraft which are out of production such as A300s.

Recaero, as of now has only one plant in France. With the desire to increase its global marketshare from the present 5 per cent, Recaero is setting up this plant. Racaero's Bangalore plant will be the hub for supplying parts to Asia, said Thierry Pobeau, chairman and CEO, Recaero. The plant will focus on developing sheet metal bending and surface treatment.

While in France the plant of Racaero produces spare parts that have a lead time of about two days, the Bidadi plant will make parts not requiring short lead times, often the parts that are not ordered on a frequent basis. In the second phase, which is by mid-2007, the firm will develop manufacturing for serial production for the main European customers of Racaero.

Racaero's global strategy has been to develop the core business of specialised spare parts to OEMs and to develop adapted solutions. Racaero offers services like design, complete management of manufacturing and delivery to the end-customer. Among the clientele of Racaero are Airbus, Safran Group (Snecma), ATR, Eurocopter, Dassault among others.

According to Vinay Jha, chairman, Recaero, India, "The Bidadi plant will be ready to start operations by the end of 2006 when the machining and raw material provisioning will begin."

The first customers will be the same as those of Racaero France. The company plans to rely partly on the firm's plant and partly on sub-contractors' network. Recaero India aims to achieve an annual turnover of Rs 3 crore by the end of next calendar year.