Aviation giant Airbus and the aerospace arm of Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. will be establishing an assembly facility for the H125 helicopters in Kolar, Karnataka.
This makes the facility the first privately led helicopter assembly facility in the country. Karnataka Industries Minister M B Patil in a X post said, “The commencement of the Tata-Airbus helicopter manufacturing facility in our state marks a historic milestone—India's first private sector helicopter plant.”
The Airbus H125, formerly known as the Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil or AStar, is a single-engine, light utility helicopter and falls under Airbus' Ecureuil category and is one of the leading helicopters in the intermediate single-engine category.
The facility begins operations with an initial order of 500 helicopters, which is a testament to the scale and ambition of this project, Patil said. The Karnataka government expects the new facility to create new employment opportunities, boost manufacturing capabilities, and strengthen the state's standing in advanced technology and defence production.
“Karnataka holds the No.1 position in the aerospace and defence sector, contributing 65% to the nation's output. It's a matter of pride that we also rank 3rd globally in this domain. Karnataka continues to soar as the aerospace capital of India,” Patil said in his post.
Recently, TASL had acquired a 7.4 lakh sq. ft. plot in Karnataka's Vemgal Industrial Area for the establishment of an aircraft manufacturing and final assembly line, including Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul facilities. The land parcel was bought for Rs 29.34 crore from Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board.
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