Bengaluru: Several global defence firms have signed up with local Indian companies during the ongoing Aero India show to expand, manufacture locally and encourage Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” initiative.

Defence firm Aequs Private Ltd said that it will open a multi-capability aerospace and defence manufacturing facility in Tuem, Goa, to manufacture high-end components & systems for aerospace and defence sector and support the “Make in India” initiative.

The new facility will be established with an initial investment of Rs500 crore towards development of physical infrastructure, plant, machinery and equipment and is strategically located at the Electronic Manufacturing Cluster, or EMC, at Tuem, Goa.

The new Aequs facility will be a multi-capability precision engineering with computer numeric control machines and new-age technology to design and produce precision components for the Indian defence sector. It will also support the “Skill India” initiative in precision manufacturing and other new-age technologies, bringing a key capability in aerospace manufacturing in the country.

“The sector relies heavily on imported equipment and technology. With the new facility, we aim to support the ‘Make in India’ initiative for one of the most critical sectors in the country. Our strategy will also see technology transfers from aerospace giants around the globe, adding further to our manufacturing capabilities besides generating employment to close to 2,000 people,” said Aravind Melligeri, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Aequs.

Maini group is said to be investing in a new dedicated facility to meet global aerospace manufacturing requirements. Its new factory will be located at Bommasandra, Bengaluru.

“The objective for the new plant is to create a dedicated facility for aerospace, that would enable us to drive our growth plans in the three verticals of structures, powerplant sub-modules and aircraft systems,” said Gautam Maini, Managing Director, Maini Precision Parts Ltd, adding the plant would help the firm to meet the supply chain requirements of the aerospace leaders.

Kalyani Strategic Systems Ltd; (KSSL), the defence arm of Kalyani group, and Israel Aerospace Industries, Ltd. (IAI) have signed an agreement to incorporate a joint venture company to expand their presence in the Indian defence sector and to build, market and manufacture specific air defence systems and ground-to-ground and ground- to-sea munitions.

“The joint venture company will combine IAI’s advanced technology, knowledge and experience as an OEM with world class design, development and manufacturing capabilities of the Kalyani group. The joint venture will provide indigenously manufactured solutions in niche technology areas of defense sector, thereby furthering the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the government,” said Baba Kalyani, Chairman, Kalyani group.

Reliance Defence Limited (RDL) said it has also signed an agreement with Strata Manufacturing PJSC (Strata), the advanced composite aero-structures manufacturing company, wholly owned by Mubadala Development Company, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and to collaborate on advanced aerospace manufacturing capabilities between India and the UAE.

This agreement will look at production of carbon fibre composites aerostructures, Prepegs as well as 3D printing of aerospace components and airframe panels.

The Dhirubhai Ambani Aerospace Park, located at the Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN), is being considered by Reliance Defence Limited for a new facility to support its aerospace plans.

Rolls-Royce said it was also opening its first Service Delivery Centre (SDC) in India to deliver improved support for over 750 defence engines that power the aircraft of the Indian Armed Forces. The new facility will be located at the Manyata Technical Park in Bengaluru and will offer localized engineering and technical support designed to improve frontline capability for the Indian Air Force and Navy.

The Service Delivery Centre (SDC) will offer expertise in fleet management, service engineering and supply chain co-ordination as well as being the base for field service representatives that can be quickly dispatched to frontline bases in India to provide expert technical support.

The SDC will also offer improved support for manufacturing, assembly and test for our longstanding partner Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)