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By Ravi Jalhotra
Marignane (France), July 21 (ANI) In a major boost to India's goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat, global major Airbus said that it will start work to setup the Final Assembly Line (FAL) for H-125 helicopters in the coming winter along with its Indian partner Tata.Airbus Executive Vice President Global Business Olivier Michalon Airbus Helicopter, the firm has identified eight sites till now and will shortly finalise the location of the final assembly line "We will start the work to set up the final assembly line before the start of winters in India," he said in a briefing. Emphasising that for Airbus, India is a big market not only for aircraft but also for growing market of commercial helicopters Olivier Michalon added, "India is the market of the future for helicopters.This is our analysis, this is our ambition to be part of this transformation". He, however, said that for aircraft manufacturer like Airbus, market regulations in India continued to be an issue. "Regulations are a bit restrictive but we are working as if those are going to lighten up a little bit and the skies are going to open up progressively," he claimed. But Michalon sounded optimistic and hopeful. "Either we wait for the sky to fully open or we demonstrate our trust and the recognition of the potential of India and continue to invest," Olivier Michalon said. We can see projects demand of up to 500 for H125 helicopters in India and neighbouring countries and oliver Believed India to be Big as the United states for this type of Helicopter The first delivery of Made-in-India helicoptor will be on 2026 and 10 helicopter will be produced at india Final assembly line per year, but in coming years it can be increased to 20,30 or even 50 Airbus said a basic H 125 produced in india will cost upwards of Euro 3.2 million. Airbus is buoyed by the success of its commercial aircraft A-320 and the company is hopeful that H-125 will replicate the same in the commercial helicopter market. Presently, over 7000 H-125 are operational and Airbus claims it has footprint even in the highly competitive US market. "We sell and support solutions, and this is what we can provide for Make in India solutions," Olivier Michalon added.Airbus is trying to tap South Asia as the next big market for H-125 helicopter. The real users for helicopters are industrial players, particularly in field of energy market. "There are 35O civil and para public helicopters in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Of this, we have less than 250 currently in service in India, which is a very low number considering the population and demography of the country," said Sunny Guglani, head of airbus helicopter in india and south asia. Airbus says it currently has a 40 per cent market share in the commercial helicopter market. Of 350, nearly 140 are Airbus, which is 40 per cent of the market share Airbus's collaboration with India extends beyond manufacturing. The company is actively developing a robust ecosystem for maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) of helicopters. In December 2023, Airbus partnered with Indamer to advance India's helicopter MRO ambitions, providing cutting-edge aftermarket services for Airbus helicopters at facilities in Mumbai, New Delhi, and Nagpur. This partnership enhances the operational efficiency and longevity of Airbus helicopters in India. In the defense sector, Airbus has made significant contributions through the C295 program. Moreover, Airbus also invests heavily in India's digital and engineering capabilities. The Airbus India Engineering Centre and the Digital Centre in Bengaluru support Airbus's global operations with high-tech aeronautical engineering and digital transformation projects, leveraging India's talent pool to innovate and improve Airbus's products and services.(ANI)
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