Mahindra to launch first small aircraft in India

Narsapura (Bangalore): Mahindra Aerospace, the aircraft and components manufacturing arm of Mahindra group, will start producing the first eight-seater aircraft in India in the next two years.

"You can expect that within a time-frame of two years, we will have a full-fledged eight-seater aircraft being manufactured in India," said Hemant Luthra, president of Mahindra Systech -- of which Mahindra Aerospace is a part, during the inauguration of its new aero-structure manufacturing facility here.

There was immense opportunity for the aircraft business in India as around 100 million pilgrims, 100 million holiday goers and businessmen could benefit with small aircraft, which shows the immense potential for the aircraft, Mr Luthra said.

The company presently manufactures eight-seater -- GA8 utility aircraft, in its Australia-based companies Aerostaff and GrippsAero which it acquired in 2010 to get into the aviation sector.

It has so far exported from Australia around 250 planes, which are used for tourism, humanitarian aid, adventure sports and other activities in the US, Canada, Europe and other countries.

Mahindra is also producing 10-seater GA10, which is under certification process and is likely to available for commercial operations by 2014. The company is working on development of 18-seater GA 18.

Inaugurating the facility, Mahindra Group CMD Anand Mahindra said he aims to turn India from "a global consumer in aviation sector to global producer; and the manufacturing facility was an attempt to make India's entry into the global aerospace industry and leave a footprint in global aerostructure supplychain".

"It is the first aero-structure facility (in private sector) in India. Our utility aircraft are capable of landing in rugged terrains where no one has reached. It will be like our Mahindra jeep, which used to tread rugged terrain without roads and where no other vehicle used to go," Mr Mahindra said.