|
A 300-acre special economic zone for the precision
engineering of aerospace products is expected to be
established in southern India.
Called Quest SEZ Pvt Ltd, the zone will be located in
Belgaum in the South Indian state of Karnataka. It is set
to be approved within a month and be operational by 2008.
Four companies plan to set up facilities for landing gear
manufacture and engine components by next year.
Quest CEO Ajit Prabhu said a zone is necessary because of
the huge growth in engineering services being offshored
from India, as well as the offset clause for aircraft
firms that are supplying Indian carriers.
Bangalore-based Quest provides support across the entire
product lifecycle, from design and modeling through
analysis, automation and data documentation to
manufacturing support and in-house precision machining.
The offset clause for aircraft manufacturers is also
expected to give a big boost to aerospace-linked
manufacturing. In Karnataka, there is no focus on
aerospace precision engineering and supply chain. "Apart
from enabling vendors to move up the value chain to do
assemblies, this will also facilitate an increase in
exports going out of India to the aerospace sector,"
said Aravind Melligeri, president and CEO of Quest
Machining and Manufacturing. Quest is also setting up
India's first independent processing facility for
aerospace manufacturing in a 50/50 joint ownership company
with Canadian Magellan Aerospace.
The processing facility's launch positions Quest and
Magellan as early adopters in aerospace supply chain
development in India. The facility will initially focus on
processes for aluminum, titanium, and stainless steel
components for aerostructure and aeroengine components.
"We are machining titanium parts - a significant portion
used for landing gears - that need to go for short peening
(small balls of metal to relieve stress) that does not
exist in India," Melligeri said
Meanwhile, GE recently awarded one of two five-year Super
Center contracts for engineering services to CTQ
Engineering, a joint venture company formed between CDI,
TK Engineering and Quest. The agreement covers global
engineering work for GE Infrastructure. "The party is just
beginning. The company will grow at a 40 percent-50
percent rate for the next few years, and you can expect
some announcements on relationships soon," Prabhu said.
For further information please
contact ?
Romana Charania
Asst Manager Corporate Communications
Ph: +91 80 41190900
Fax: +91 80 41190901
Email:
Romana.Charania@quest-global.com |
