Even as Airbus Group proposes to shift its entire manufacturing of Panther military helicopters to India, the Aerospace and defense major is looking at Dholera and Mundra as potential destinations for setting up its manufacturing base. However, the global giant is also eyeing other locations in India.
Airbus Group’s vice-president – industry development (strategic partnerships and offsets) Ashish Saraf said on the sidelines of Gujarat Aviation Conclave 2017 organized by Confederation of Indian Industries in Ahmedabad on Thursday that they have proposed to shift their entire line of Panther helicopters manufacturing to India. Dholera is one of the potential destinations for them to set up their manufacturing facility. Mundra could also be one of them in Gujarat
Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are other states that the French aviation behemoth is also looking at. Earlier this year, Airbus Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the state government during the Vibrant Gujarat Summit for the establishment of an aerospace and defence cluster at DSIR near Ahmedabad.
Talking specifically about Dholera for establishing a production facility for Panther helicopters, Saraf said that the main reason is its proximity to the ocean. He also mentioned that there is a standard selection process and criteria based on which they will finalize a location.
By Baishakhi Dutta
