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World Defense & Security News - Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
 
 
HAL will open new construction plant to manufacture military light utility helicopters
 
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., India’s largest aerospace and defense company, said Thursday that it would build a new factory to manufacture military and civilian helicopters, reports today the Wall Street Journal. The factory is part of the company’s plan to invest 30 billion Indian rupees ($483 million) over the next three years to develop new products and modernize its existing products, Hindustan Aeronautics Chairman T. Suvarna Raju said.
     

Indian Army's HAL Dhruv light utility helicopter
     
The helicopter plant would primarily produce its latest light utility helicopter for the Indian armed forces, but would also make a civilian version, Mr. Raju said at a news conference at the Aero India aerospace and defense show.

We will be initially investing about 4 billion rupees to build a helicopter complex in Karnataka,” Mr. Raju said. “The plan is to build about 60 helicopters a year.

Mr. Raju said Hindustan Aeronautics already has orders for 187 light utility helicopters from the military and expects to sell hundreds of commercial helicopters in India in the coming years.

Hindustan Aeronautics is ready to welcome new investors if the government decides to sell part of the company, said Mr. Raju. New Delhi has been discussing plans to divest part of its stake in Hindustan Aeronautics to raise much-needed revenue and make the company more transparent.

The process of selling a government stake in Hindustan Aeronautics has been delayed as the company wanted to be exempted from some of the disclosure rules for listed companies as it manufactures military hardware.

(Source: the Wall Street Journal)