Airbus Shortlists Four States For Copter Unit

Airbus Helicopters has shortlisted four locations in the country for setting up a production line for making H125 helicopters in partnership with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), the fourth such facility in the world and a shot in the arm for the government's wide-ranging Make-in-India campaign, people in the industry said on Friday.

- Rahul Singh

The final assessment of sites in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka is underway and an announcement is expected soon on where the single-engine helicopter will be assembled as the two firms target to roll the first H125 out of an Indian facility next year, the people added on condition of anonymity.

The factors that will guide the decision include how attractive the location is to employees, its suitability for industrial activity, and the logistics ecosystem, the people said.

The final assembly line (FAL) in India will be the first for a civil helicopter in the private sector and will initially produce 10 H125s a year, with production being ramped up as orders grow. Airbus Helicopters has projected a demand for 500 light helicopters of the H125 class in the country and south Asia during the next 20 years.