Russian Helicopters to open helicopter assembly plant in India

During the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India, Russian Helicopters, a subsidiary of Oboronprom, part of Russian Technologies State Corporation, and Elcom Systems Private Limited, part of the Indian investment conglomerate SUN Group, signed in New Delhi an agreement to set up in India a modern industrial facility for manufacturing of Russian helicopter models, namely helicopters of the Ka- and Mi- brands.

The joint venture will have the capacity to produce key helicopter units and carry out final assembly of the machines as well as engage in ground and flight testing. It is expected that the enterprise will start with production of components for the multirole Ka-226T helicopter. The enterprise will serve as an industrial base for hi-tech Russian rotorcraft products in India.

"India is a traditional partner of Russian Helicopters in terms of helicopter deliveries. The creation of a joint Russian-Indian enterprise marks a new stage and also a logical continuation of our joint efforts in light of the growing demand for Russian helicopter models," said Dmitry Petrov, CEO of Russian Helicopters.

According to Petrov, the joint venture will help drive the development of India's aerospace industry and provide for effective application of advanced Russian technologies. It will also make it possible to organize the training of Indian engineers and promote the development of highly qualified personnel across the entire production chain.

Moreover, the enterprise will be eligible to implement offset projects under various procurement tenders in India where Russian rotorcraft are involved. The holding company and Elcom Systems also reached an agreement on plans to create a joint Helicopter Academy in India for the training of flight and technical personnel.

Vladimir Putin's visit to India resulted in the signing of a set of documents aimed at strengthening military-technical cooperation between Russia and India, including in helicopter manufacturing. India is a traditional buyer of Russia aircraft and presently has a fleet of 280 Russian-made helicopters.