March 1, 2018
Spread across 14,000 sq meters and employing 350 workers, the facility will be the sole global producer of fuselages for AH-64 Apache helicopter delivered by Boeing to its global customers including the US Army
The helicopter has been selected for acquisition by the armed forces of 16 countries, including India, which placed an order for 22 AH-64E Apache helicopters in 2015, deliveries for which are expected to begin in 2019
At the inauguration of the plant, Nirmala Sitharaman, India’s Defence Minister, said that setting up of advanced defence platforms will help India’s aerospace industry build local capability and become a global exporter
Pratyush Kumar, President of Boeing India, said that the Hyderabad facility was a major step towards future business opportunities in India to pursue co-development of integrated systems in aerospace and defence
Tata Boeing Aerospace Ltd (TBAL), a research and manufacturing joint venture of US-based Boeing Co and India’s Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL), on March 1st inaugurated a new production plant at Hyderabad. Spread across 14,000 sq meters and employing 350 workers, the facility will be the sole global producer of fuselages for AH-64 Apache helicopter delivered by Boeing to its global customers including the US Army. The new plant will also produce secondary structures and vertical spar boxes of the multi-role combat helicopter. The delivery of the first aircraft fuselage is expected this year. While Boeing is one of the world’s leading aerospace manufacturers, TASL’s parent Tata Group is India’s largest private conglomerate. The partnership comes amid increasing activities in India’s aerospace and defence industries, buoyed by the Government’s “Make in India” initiative.
TASL, the aerospace and defence arm of the Tata group, offers services ranging from designing to full aircraft assembly. The company has also tied up with the Indian Government-controlled Defence Research and Development Organisation in the past. Meanwhile, more than 2,300 Boeing-made Apache helicopters have been operated by customers around the world since the aircraft entered production in 1997. The US Army Apache fleet alone has accumulated more than 4.3 million flight hours, including more than 1.2 million in combat, as of January 2018. The helicopter has been selected for acquisition by the armed forces of 16 countries, including India. India’s Defence MInistry finalised an order with Boeing for 22 AH-64E Apache helicopters in September 2015, deliveries for which are scheduled to begin in 2019. Boeing is looking to further its business engagements in India.
At the inauguration of the plant, Nirmala Sitharaman, India’s Defence Minister, said that setting up of advanced defence platforms and their integration with the global supply chain will help India’s aerospace industry acquire technology, build local capability, provide employment and become a global exporter. India has relaxed restrictions under the Strategy for Defence Exports (SDE) regulations to boost investment. TBAL, Boeing’s first joint venture in India, follows a 2015 agreement with TASL. Work on the facility began in 2016 and was completed on schedule. Boeing and TASL have also collaborated on developing a pool of aerospace talent through skill development initiatives. Pratyush Kumar, President of Boeing India said that the Hyderabad plant was a major step towards future opportunities in India to pursue co-development of integrated systems in aerospace and defence.