Mahindra Aerospace on Tuesday announced that Airbus Helicopters has awarded a contract to Mahindra Aerostructures to make airframe parts for the AS565 MBe Panther helicopter.
“The said parts will be produced at the Mahindra facility in Bengaluru. They will be shipped directly to the Airbus Helicopter production line in Marignane, France, where they will be integrated with the rest of the airframe assembly and will form a critical part of the Panthers sold worldwide.” the company said in a statement.
The contract positions Mahindra Aerostructures as the first Indian company to receive a direct manufacturing contract from Airbus Helicopters as a tier I supplier, with the firm gradually emerging as the global single source supplier to Airbus Helicopters for these parts. This work package is the first amongst a series of work packages which would embed Mahindra Group firmly in the Airbus Helicopters’ global supply chain, and bind the two companies in a long-term ‘Make in India’ partnership.
According to Airbus Helicopters Director (Make in India) Fabrice Cagnat, “The contract will allow us to qualify Mahindra Aerostructures as a tier I supplier, establish a manufacturing relationship with them on the Panther, and also lay the groundwork for a rapid acceleration in terms of industrializing production in India, in case we are selected for the Naval Utility Helicopter programme,” he added.
“This contract with Airbus Helicopters signals our further commitment to work with them to develop a robust Indian ecosystem for both design and build capabilities in aerospace,” said Mahindra Aerospace Executive Director and CEO Arvind Mehra.
Meanwhile, the AS565 MBe Panther — which is an all-weather, multi-role light rotorcraft designed for operation from ship decks, offshore locations and land-based sites — is competing for the Naval Utility Helicopter programme. In case the government selects the Panther, Airbus Helicopters will establish India as a global hub for Panther production in partnership with Mahindra Defence.