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Eurocopter, the world’s largest helicopter manufacturer has been successful on the Indian market both in industrial deployment and in selling a large number of helicopters.
Eurocopter’s representative office is based in Bangalore, and the company is about to further expand and to set up a subsidiary in India.
The Cheetah success story
Eurocopter’s industrial links with India date back many years and were initiated by Eurocopter’s predecessor companies. India was the first nation with which Eurocopter signed a licence agreement with technology transfer.
Since 1962, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has manufactured over 600 Chetak and Cheetah helicopters modified versions of the successful Alouette and Lama models. In 1984, Eurocopter was associated by HAL in the development of the Advanced Light Helicopter, a twin-engine, 5-tonne transport helicopter, for which Eurocopter is supplying rotor blades.
Centralized Dauphin maintenance Center for South Asia
Being a Eurocopter customer since the delivery of its first Eurocopter AS 365 as early as in April 1983, Pawan Hans Helicopter Ltd. (PHHL), the biggest civil helicopter operator throughout India and Asia, received two new Dauphin AS 365 N3 helicopters and was appointed as "Eurocopter Dauphin Helicopter Maintenance Centre" in 2002.
This gave Pawan Hans a leading position as approved Maintenance Centre for the complete Eurocopter Dauphin fleet in South Asia.
In 2004, Eurocopter signed a contract with PHHL to create an additional maintenance centre in Bombay. The PHHL maintenance centre is providing services for civil and parapublic operators of the Dauphin AS 365 N, N1, N2, and N3 versions. It currently has maintenance contracts not only with Indian customers but also with operators in Sri Lanka and in South East Asian countries such as Indonesia, Taiwan, and Cambodia.
End of 2005, Pawan Hans signed contracts to further enlarge its fleet of modern, safe and especially comfortable Dauphin off-shore helicopters, their delivery being planned in May 2006.
Today, the company is operating a fleet of 21 Dauphin helicopters (17 N versions and 4 N3 versions).
EC135 – a world best seller conquers Indian market for VIP
In late July 2002, the first EC 135 helicopter was delivered to the State of Chhattisgarh government, the first customer in India for this aircraft. This delivery marked an important step for the light-weight twin-engine model, as it opened the door to an important market: the Indian sub-continent. The first EC 135 has been primarily used for VIP transport within a radius of 200 km around Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh.
A second EC 135 was delivered in 2004 to the Government of Uttaranchal for VIP transportation. Internationally, the EC 135 is the world’s best-selling modern light twin-engine helicopter with a total of 440 units delivered until now.
Eurocopter strategy in 2006
As Norbert Ducrot, Vice President Eurocopter Sales Asia points out that "in 2006, our business focus in India will be to decisively increase our business platform by means of sales as well as by successful industrial deployment. For that reason, we are not only participating in a tender for Light Helicopters called LORH with our proven AS 550 C Fennec, but we are currently discussing numerous opportunities for long-term industrial cooperation with Indian Aerospace industry specially regarding the 10 tons class helicopter requirement for all armed forces".
Bruno Boulnois, General Manager of Eurocopter in India, adds: "As India is on of our strategic markets, we are about to hire qualified workforce to quickly implement an efficient organisation in Bangalore".
Eurocopter is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EADS. EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2004, EADS generated revenues of EUR 31.8 billion and employed a workforce of about 110,000. The EADS Group includes the aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world`s largest helicopter supplier Eurocopter and the joint venture MBDA, the international leader in missile systems.
EADS is the major partner in the Eurofighter consortium, is the prime contractor for the Ariane launcher, develops the A400M military transport aircraft and is the largest industrial partner for the European satellite navigation system Galileo.
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