Smiths Aerospace and HCL Tech open development centre in India

Chennai: Smiths Aerospace, part of the global technology business Smiths Group, has opened a development centre in Chennai, in the south of India, along with Indian IT major, HCL Technologies. The inauguration of the development centre follows the signing of an agreement between Smiths Aerospace and HCL Technologies on December 20, 2006.

Under the agreement, HCL will provide the resources and management at the center, assigning 60 positions for engineering services. The center, inaugurated by Mike Taylor, vice president, supply chain, Smiths Aerospace, will commence work immediately. On the occasion, Taylor said that the Group's partnership with HCL would result in time, cost, and quality benefits for the company.

Smiths Aerospace says that it has a successful and growing relationship with HCL that goes back to 2005.

According to HCL's Ramesh Pillai, director, aerospace practice, North America, the dedicated design centre will cater to Smiths Aerospace's global engineering requirements, and will have the ability to ramp up quickly to more than 150 dedicated professionals who will offer a multitude of IT and engineering services.

HCL says that it is the first Indian IT solutions provider in the aerospace segment to obtain AS 9100 certification. Its aerospace practice currently counts several global aerospace majors including airframe manufacturers, system integrators and Tier 1 suppliers amongst its clients.

HCL Technologies, along with its subsidiaries, had revenues of $1.058bn for the twelve-month period ending 30th September 2006.

Smiths Group is a global technology company, listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a world leader in the practical application of advanced technologies. It has four divisions: Aerospace, Detection, Medical and Specialty Engineering. On 15 January 2007 it announced the sale of Smiths Aerospace to GE, which remains subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals. Smiths Aerospace is a world-leader in digital, electrical power, mechanical systems, engine components and customer services.