Profile

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.

Adopting the slogan "Asia's Premier Aerospace Complex," India's aerospace and defence major, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), continues to take large strides in the sector with every passing year. In size HAL is indisputably an Asian aerospace giant, with 16 production units and nine research and design centres spread across seven locations in India.

HAL's impressive product track record encompasses a complex range of aerospace applications. It designs and manufactures aircraft and aero-engines, has also successfully carried out their up-gradation programmes, creates structures for space launch vehicles, develops aerospace related software and has recently announced its intention to be a airport services provider.

To date, HAL has manufactured 12 types of aircraft, developed with in-house R & D, as well as 14 types produced under license. In numbers, HAL has so far manufactured 3,550 aircraft and 3,600 engines. It has also overhauled over 8,150 aircraft and 27,300 engines.

A brief history
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) became an entity on 1st October 1964 with the merger of Hindustan Aircraft Limited, a Bangalore-based private enterprise with Aeronautics India Limited and the Aircraft Manufacturing Depot, Kanpur.

Hindustan Aircraft Limited owed its origin to the pioneering vision and efforts of an independence era industrialist, Seth Walchand Hirachand, who set up the facility at Bangalore in association with the erstwhile princely State of Mysore in December 1940. During WWII, under increasing pressure from advancing Japanese forces, Great Britain, the then colonial power, first became a shareholder of the company in March 194, before taking over management functions in 1942.

Current projects
Currently, HAL has several high-profile projects under way. These include:

Dhruv — Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH)

Tejas — Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)

Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT); and also,

various military and civil upgrades, such as that of the MiG-21 (Bison), MiG-29, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft of the Indian Air Force.

Dhruv (ALH) has already seen successful induction with the air arms of the Indian Army, Navy and the Indian Coast Guard, as well as the Indian Air Force. It has also evinced considerable interest in air forces around the world and has won export orders.

HAL has been exporting to more than 30 countries for long and the Dhruv is now only the latest in a long line of products that have globally established HAL's reputation as a quality and price competitive provider.

Space
HAL has been a regular participant in India's space programme and has manufactured structures for Satellite Launch Vehicles like the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), Geo Stationary Launch Vehicle (GSLV), the Indian Remote Satellite (IRS) and the Indian National Satellite (INSAT).

Joint ventures and diversification
HAL is currently involved in three joint ventures (JVs) with prestigious global aerospace companies and consortia in various fields. These JVs operate as BAeHAL Software Limited, Indo-Russian Aviation Limited (IRAL) and Snecma HAL Aerospace Pvt Ltd.

HAL is also looking at diversifying its activities into areas such as production of industrial marine gas turbines and airport services. Towards this end it is actively seeking co-production and JVs with international participants.

Awards and recognition
Over its lifetime HAL has received several international and national awards for achievements in R&D, technology, managerial performance, exports, energy conservation, quality and fulfilment of social responsibilities. These include the International Gold Medal for corporate achievement in quality and efficiency at the International Summit (Global Rating Leaders 2003), London, UK awarded by M/s Global Rating, UK, in conjunction with the International Information and Marketing Centre (IIMC).

HAL has also been awarded the international "Arch Of Europe" award in the gold category in recognition of its commitment to quality, leadership, technology and innovation.

At home, HAL has won a Gold Trophy for excellence in public sector management, awarded by the Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE).

All in all, it would be difficult to argue with HAL's slogan that it is Asia's premier aerospace complex.

Fact file

Products
aerospace equipment, military aircraft, communication and navigation equipment and space systems

Key people
Chairman — Ashok. K. Baweja
Director, corporate planning and marketing — Fakhruddin Mohammad

Employees
9,500

Indigenous design
HT-2
HPT-32 Deepak
HUL-26 Pushpak
HAOP-27 Krishak
HA-31 Basant
HJT-16 Kiran — Mk1, Mk1A and Mk2
HF-24 Marut —- Mk1 and Mk1T
Lakshya — Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Tejas — Light Combat Aircraft
Dhruv —- Advanced Light Helicopter
HJT-36 — Intermediate Jet Trainer
Saras — A multipurpose Light Transport Aircraft designed along with the National Aerospace Laboratories

Licensed production
MiG-21 — FL and M, with the Bis and Bison as upgrade variants
MiG-27 — M variant
SEPECAT Jaguar — IS, IB, IM variants
Aerospatiale Alouette III — with the Chetak and Chetan as variants
SA 315 Lama — Cheetah, Lancer and Cheetal as variants
Dornier Do 228
HS 748 Avro
Sukhoi Su-30 MKI
BAe Systems Hawk Mk 132 Advanced Jet Trainer

Website
www.hal-india.com