HAL profit before tax at Rs 630 crore

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, said here on Friday, it ended the year to March with profit before tax (PBT) of Rs 630 crore on total sales of Rs 4,425 crore.

The PBT has increased 5.1 per cent and sales grew 16.4 per cent over last fiscal, a company release said.

During the year, the public sector defence aeronautics firm handed over its first batch of indigenously produced Su-30 Mk I multi-role fighter aircraft to the Indian Air Force.

HAL has completed supplies against the twin seater Jaguar project with indigenously upgraded avionics and mission computers, the release said.

HAL emerged as a reliable partner and supplier of aerospace products, and international firms decided to source various parts and services from the company, the release said.

Orders it won included those for 1,000 doors for Airbus' A320 aircraft, assemblies and components for Eurocopter's Fennec helicopter, tail rotor blade assemblies for Bell's helicopters and avionics for RAC-MiG's MiG 29 fighter aircraft, the release said.

HAL has leased one of its advanced light helicopters (ALH) to Israel Aircraft Industries, whose avionics are fitted to the aircraft and which is a marketing partner in the ALH project.

During the year, HAL also announced a 50:50 joint venture with Snecma to build a more powerful engine, the Ardiden, that will be fitted first on the ALH.